Safe Storage of Foods

With restrictions in place due to COVID-19, everyone is preparing meals at home. You probably stocked up on perishable and non-perishable items and/or are using up supplies in your pantry and cupboards. Add to this your refrigerator filling up with leftovers, you may start to wonder how long all this food will be safe.

Date Marks on Food Labels

Many people have questions on the date marks on food. While these can be confusing, remember that they are mainly quality dates and not food safety dates. Label Date Marks: Quality or Safety and the Penn State Extension Learn Now Video Date Marking of Food Packages provide tips on deciphering the codes on food packages, to avoid wasting food unnecessarily.

Food Storage

Temperature is key when it comes to Refrigerator and Freezer Storage. Refrigerator temperature should be 40°F or lower and freezer temperatures 0°F or lower.

If you bought dry goods in bulk, you may want to think about repackaging these foods to extend their shelf life. The National Center for Home Food Preservation offers guidance on safely repacking foods for storage. Be sure to rotate those canned goods using older items, this is called FIFO or first in first out. Ideal storage temperatures for dry and canned goods are between 50-70°F. The Food Keeper app provides details on storage recommendations on a variety of foods to help maximize quality.

Leftovers

If leftovers are starting to fill up your refrigerator don't despair! Safe Handling of Leftovers provides important food safety tips for consuming, freezing and reheating leftovers so they don't go to waste.

While these are always important practices, during this stressful time it is even more critical to keep these food safety tips in mind. As always, if you are not sure and question the safety of a food item – when in doubt, throw it out!