Food Waste Avoidance 4 - Food Storage

The Pantry

Tips to ensure maximum storage life at room temperature:

store foods in cool cupboards - away from heat sources such as refrigerators or ovens
store foods in dark cupboards - especially if they have transparent packaging
store food in moisture and air proof containers where possible
use up older packets and cans before more recently purchased ones

The Fridge

Tips to ensure maximum storage life of food in your fridge:

Keep at < 5°C
Refrigeration can substantially reduce the rate at which food will deteriorate, as low temperatures slow down the growth of microorganisms and the rate of chemical (including enzymic) changes in food
Avoid crowding stored products
Store raw foods below cooked foods
Keep meat and poultry in its package until just before using
Store food in suitable, covered containers
Check and observe the ‘Use by’ dates
Apply the 2 hour max rule – that is, cooked foods should be contained and stored in the fridge (or freezer) within 2 hours after cooking

The Freezer

Tips to ensure maximum storage life of food in your freezer:

Keep at < -15°C
Freezing food and storing it at a low temperature, around -18 °C, significantly extends its storage life, as growth of microbes is stopped and the chemical and enzymic changes, which cause loss of quality, are slowed
Cover properly to avoid drying of the surface (known as ”freezer burn”) and changes to the appearance and texture
Frost inside a package is a result of dehydration and can be minimised by avoiding air gaps inside the package
Bought food: Follow the storage information on the packaging and check the date stamp (‘Use by’ or ‘Best before’)
Cooked food: When freezing your own food, mark each container clearly and permanently with a date so that you can achieve an orderly turnover of stored frozen food.
Apply the 2 hour max rule – that is, cooked foods should be contained and stored in the fridge (or freezer) within 2 hours after cooking
Thawed food should not be refrozen

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