Food Safety - How to Store Cold Foods Properly (2024)

FAQs

Food Safety - How to Store Cold Foods Properly? ›

Cold air must circulate to help keep food safe. Keeping a constant refrigerator temperature of 40ºF or below is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40ºF or below. The freezer temperature should be 0ºF or below.

Storing food in the fridge

Your fridge temperature should be at 5 °C or below. The freezer temperature should be below -15 °C. Use a thermometer to check the temperature in your fridge.

Storing Cold Food Safety Tips

The items stored in your cooler or refrigerator should be produce, dairy products, ready-to-eat foods, meats, condiments, etc. Keep your cooler at 35 – 38 degrees to keep foods at 41 degrees or below. Be aware to not overstock your cooler, as it may prevent air flow.

Storage temperatures keep pathogens in check, so store cold TCS foods at an internal temperature of 41°F or lower, and hot TCS foods at 135°F or higher. Store frozen foods frozen. Storage must be well ventilated with open shelving, and accurate to plus/minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit with a visible thermometer.

The ideal temperature for a refrigerator is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, while the freezer should be set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below. These temperatures help to keep food fresh and out of the danger zone where bacteria can grow rapidly.

Pre-packaged cold foods must be stored at temperatures recommended by the manufacturer. This is especially important when dealing with vacuum packed foods, modified atmosphere packages and sous vide foods. Refrigerators and freezers must be operating at temperatures lower than 41°F and 0°F., respectively.

Foods kept in cold holding must stay at or below 41°F at all times. Foods that fall into the “Danger Zone” must be thrown away. If the temperature of food falls into the “Danger Zone”, throw away the food. Germs grow quickly at these temperatures, making food unsafe to eat.

Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C). Check temperatures periodically. Appliance thermometers are the best way of knowing these temperatures and are generally inexpensive.

Cold perishable food should be kept in the cooler at 40 °F or below until serving time. Once you've served it, it should not sit out for longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the outdoor temperature is above 90 °F. If it does — discard it.

How do you keep cold food safe? ›

An appliance thermometer takes the guesswork out of knowing your food is safe to eat. Put one in your cooler, and make sure it reads 40 °F or below. When the temperature outside is above 90 °F, put perishable food back in the cooler within 1 hour after eating. Otherwise, cool it within 2 hours.

Maintain cold food at 41°F or below. Frozen food must remain frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator, under running water or as part of the cooking process. Never thaw at room temperature.

Chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below, except for certain exceptions. When you display cold food, e.g. on a buffet, you should use suitable chilled display equipment to keep it at 8°C or below.

Make sure your fridge is running at less than 5°C and your freezer is cold enough to keep frozen food frozen hard. Check your fridge and freezer temperatures regularly. High risk food (such as raw egg aioli, mayonnaise or mousse) are not to be kept for more than 24 hours.

Cold storage refers to a storage facility – usually, a large warehouse that can be temperature-controlled so that perishable goods like dairy, proteins, frozen foods, fresh produce, etc., can be stored in a way that extends their shelf life.

- Keep seals on refrigerator and cool room doors in good condition. - Store raw and cooked/ready to eat foods separately to eliminate the risk of cross contamination. - Store cooked and ready to eat foods above raw foods. - Foods stored in cool rooms should be placed on shelving at least 30cm above the floor.

Ice baths are a great option for keeping cold items cold at a party. To prepare an ice bath, fill a pan or bowl with ice and place a container with food on top so it is resting on the ice. It is important to monitor the ice bath by draining off the water as ice melts and replacing the ice as needed.

Hold cold foods at 41 °F or below.

Pre-chill ingredients for items to be served cold. Schedule food production to minimize the time that food is maintained on the serving line. Use batch preparation for cold items to minimize the time that ingredients and completed foods are at room temperature.

Refrigerate promptly to ensure leftovers don't enter the danger zone between 40°F and 140°F. For large amounts of leftovers, store them in several small, shallow containers to cool faster. Carefully date leftovers and keep them at the front of the refrigerator where you can see them and use them right away.

Here are things to remember for keeping foods chilled:

Keep perishable food safe in the refrigerator or freezer. Your refrigerator should be set at 4 C (40 F) or lower and your freezer at -18 C (0 F) or lower.