Food Storage Tips to Ensure that Your Food is Delicious and Nutritious
Safe food storage is important to your health, so after you have bought fresh food within its ‘sell by’ date you need make sure that you preserve the nutrients.
As you know, I am all for fresh organic food, but for foods that you are still buying from the supermarket please take note of these guidelines. These labels do not guarantee the safety of food and should be used only as a guide.
What you Need to Know about Food Storage and Dates
Shelf Life
Shelf life is the length of time that perishable items are allowed to stay on the shelves before they are considered to be unsuitable for sale or consumption.
Shelf life relates to food quality, whereas an expiration date, which is sometimes used as a food label, relates to food safety. So if you have not used the food by that date, toss it out!
‘Best before’ Date
‘Best before’ is a date sometimes (depending on which part of the world you are in) shown on food and drink, and is intended to indicate the date before which you should find the food to be of the best quality.
After that date the food may not taste so good, but it could still be OK for consumption. I use the terms ‘OK’ and ‘Not suitable’ as, in my view, it is best left alone! These foods are likely to have deteriorated in flavour, texture, appearance or nutrition.
‘Use by’ Date
Foods that have a use by date must not be eaten after that date. This is because these foods deteriorate quickly and are no longer acceptable to eat. Follow food storage instructions carefully for these foods (for example, product must be refrigerated). Freezing food preserves it past the labelled date.
‘Sell by’ Date
The sell by date is the last day the foods are on offer for sale, although the food is, supposedly, still safe for consumption.
Most stores will rotate stock by moving the products with the earliest dates to the front of the shelves, allowing them to be sold first, so if you move those aside you can usually get hold of the fresher items.
When you're shopping you should buy perishable foods, like meat and milk, last. When you get home, refrigerate or freeze them first. For safe food storage always store meat, poultry or fish in the coldest part of the refrigerator and use them as soon as possible.
Put purchase dates on packaging and rotate your food supplies on a regular basis. Be sure to always use the ‘first in first out’ rule. For more information on food safety and storage have a look at this publication, which provides handling tips and recommendations for safely storing food.
Food Storage in your Fridge
Refrigerating your food correctly is important to ensure that it remains safe to eat, and harmful bacteria don’t spread from raw food to other foods. But what goes where in your fridge?
Top Shelf
This is what should go on the top shelf:
Dairy Products
- Milk (can also go in the door)
- Yoghurt
- Cream
- Butter
- Eggs (in their box).
Middle Shelf
This is what should go on the middle shelf:
Convenience foods
- Leftovers (if you insist on them)
- Cooked meats
- Prepared salads.
- Packaged and ready meals
- Cream cakes.
These should all be kept in sealed containers to prevent contamination.
Bottom shelf
This is the coldest part of your fridge:
Raw foods
- Raw meat
- Poultry
- Fish.
Ensure that each item is wrapped or stored in a sealed container.
Crisper Drawers
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Salad greens.
Make sure that your fruit, vegetables and salad greens are wrapped to stop them from drying out. Wrap salads and herbs in a damp paper towel to keep them fresher for longer.
Your fridge should be set at a temperature of between 3° and 5°C so that harmful bacteria cannot multiply. At this temperature your food will be kept safe to eat.
Make sure that your refrigerator is not overloaded as the door could be stopped from closing properly. Cramming your fridge full of food stops air from circulating around the food. Your fridge should be cleaned regularly to prevent cross contamination.
Food Storage and Wastage
Storing food correctly will help you minimise food wastage. According to WRAP, UK households waste seven million tonnes of food every year, five million of which are edible. Remember the longer you keep foods, especially if they're cooked, the less vitamins, minerals and antioxidants the food contains.
Some General Guidelines for Food Storage
- Keep eggs in their original carton on a shelf in the fridge. Egg boxes are designed to store them safely
- Refrigerate jams, pickles and sauces after opening
- Defrost food only in the refrigerator, not at room temperature
- Marinate food in the refrigerator. To make a sauce from a marinade, keep some aside and use that
- Store foods in cool dark cabinets away from appliances that produce heat
- Buy fresh-looking packages. Dusty cans or torn labels can indicate old stock. Do not purchase dented or bulging cans
- Cook just enough for one meal or freeze left-overs as soon as they’ve cooled
- Clean your fridge regularly
- Thaw your fridge regularly to avoid a build-up of ice
- Never put hot food into the fridge. This will cause the temperature to rise and lead to food spoilage
- Remember the most basic rule: when in doubt, throw it out.
While healthy people can withstand the vast majority of food-borne illnesses, even a day or two of cramping and a runny tummy are very inconvenient. These can cause serious imbalances in your body, leading to aging and disease. Healthy food storage is therefore extremely important. But no matter how healthy your diet is, if you don't store your food correctly it will not do your health any good.
So I'm sure that you'll agree that food safety and how you cook your food is can impact on your health.