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