Topic · Food Safety Course 101
Keeping the food cold
- Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, and other perishables as soon as you get them home from the store
- Never let raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food or cut fresh fruits or vegetables sit at room temperature for more than two hours before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer (or for one hour when the room temperature is above 90°F)
- Never defrost food at room temperature. Food must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing. There are three safe ways to defrost food such as, in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately
- Always marinate food in the fridge
- Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator
- Use or discard refrigerated food regularly. Check the Cold Storage Chart for optimum storage times
- Always cool down hot liquid over an ice bath before storing in the refrigerator