This information will ensure you store food safely to stop harmful bacteria from growing and potentially causing food poisoning.
Keeping your food at the right temperature will help to stop it spoiling so follow these easy steps to keep your food fresh!
How long can I have food out of the fridge before it starts to spoil?
Keeping your food at a chilled temperature will slow down the rate at which any bacteria present on the food can grow.
It is recommended that you keep your fresh food items chilled in the fridge until you need to use them. A maximum of 4 hours is suggested for having food out of the fridge during food preparation but this will vary depending on the temperature in the room – a hot sunny day or a room heated in Winter will have an effect on the temperature the food is. The less time the food it kept out of the fridge, the less chance it has to grow bacteria.
How long can I keep leftovers in the fridge?
It is recommended to eat leftovers which have been stored in the fridge, within 48 hours. It is recommended to freeze or discard any food which will not be eaten within this time.
What temperature should my fridge be set to?
Your fridge should be set between 0-5 degrees C – check the manufacturers instructions for more details on your particular model.
Top tips for storing food in the fridge
Check the best before dates and use by dates on food packaging and follow the storage instructions given.
Opening and closing your fridge door will change the temperature so keep the door closed as much as possible.
Do not place hot or warm food in your fridge because this will alter the temperature of the fridge and affect the other food items, especially the ones closest to the warm food. Allow your food to cool down for 1-2 hours before placing it in your fridge. Dividing the hot food into smaller portions will enable it to cool down more quickly. Cooled food should be in the fridge within 2 hours of it being cooked.
Chilled food needs to be eaten within 48hrs – it can be eaten cold or reheated. Note that food should only be reheated once, it should reach the internal cooking temperature of 74 degrees C and eaten immediately.
Top tips for storing food in the freezer
Freezing your food will create a pause button on any bacteria which is present on food and will stop most bacteria from growing while it is in the frozen state.
Freezers freeze food at around -18 degrees C.
Freezing food is an ideal way to prolong the life of your food which cannot be eaten by the use-by date and can be frozen up to midnight on the use-by date shown on the packet. Meat is best eaten within 2-3 months of freezing and vegetables are best eaten 3-4 months after freezing. Check the storage instructions on each food item for more specific instructions.
It is suggested to split your food into serving sized portions before freezing to make it easier for defrosting the right quantity of food when you need it. Smaller portions also make it faster to defrost the food.
To defrost the frozen food, place it on a plate or in a bowl and leave it in the fridge for several hours or overnight. The plate / bowl will collect any water which drips from the packaging during the defrosting.
Ensure all food that is frozen is stored in an airtight container to stop contamination from other items in the freezer.
Labelling your food bags or containers is very handy when trying to locate particular items! Recipe and date on which it was frozen are the key piece of information you will find useful for keeping your freezer organised.
How should I defrost my food?
You should defrost your food in the fridge. Defrosting your food in the fridge will keep it at a chilled temperature and stop it from getting too warm once it has defrosted.
You must use defrosted food within 24 hours of it being fully defrosted so it if you placed the frozen food in the fridge the evening before, it needs to be eaten that day.
Ensure food is fully defrosted through to the middle – if you have a frozen centre and thawed edges, this will affect the cooking temperature and mean that it does not cook evenly ending in possible bacterial growth or food that is burning on the edges and unheated in the middle.
By following these temperature guidelines, you can ensure that your food is stored safely.
For more information and guidelines on cooking your food safely, please visit the Food Standards Agency website.