According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, an estimated 1 in 6 people in the United States (or 48 million people) get sick from eating contaminated food.
Currently, shoppers are looking for ways to cut grocery expenses. While finding ways to save money, it’s important to keep food safety in mind when searching for deals.
Maintain food safety standards — even on a budget — with these helpful tips:
Buy your food in bulk.
- Wrap the bulk tray of meat or poultry in a plastic bag provided at the meat counter to avoid contaminating the contents of your shopping cart with germs.
- When freezing bulk meat or poultry, write down or take a photo of the original package label. This step will help you identify whether the frozen items are part of a later recall.
- Use the FoodKeeper App which contains food safety and storage advice to help shoppers maintain freshness and quality of foods.
Keep your food safe while shopping for groceries.
- Before you shop, grab a disinfectant wipe and clean the cart handle. Also, wipe away germs from the child’s seat.
- If you use reusable bags, wash them frequently in the washing machine or by hand with hot, soapy water. Store them in a clean, dry location.
- Use plastic bags provided at the meat counter and fresh produce section to help avoid cross-contamination. Cover your hand with a plastic grocery bag when picking raw meat and produce at the grocery store.
- Separate meats, poultry, and fish from ready-to-eat foods, using a different bag for each item category to avoid cross-contamination of harmful germs.
Select and prepare produce safely.
- If you purchase canned fruits and vegetables, store the cans in a cool and dry place. If canned food is bulging, leaking, or has deep dents, it’s best to discard it. These signs can indicate spoilage or the presence of harmful bacteria, potentially leading to food poisoning.
- Keep fresh fruits and vegetables separate from raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs in your refrigerator.
- Gently rub fresh produce under cold running water. Scrub firm produce with a clean vegetable brush under running water. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.
- Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
Properly store food in the refrigerator and freezer.
- Use an appliance thermometer to be sure your refrigerator temperature is consistently 40 °F or below. The freezer temperature should be 0 °F or below.
- Do not overstuff your refrigerator. Cold air must circulate to keep food safe.
- Store meat and poultry in a plastic bag on a low shelf in the fridge to keep liquids from leaking and contaminating other foods. Also, store raw eggs on a low shelf.
- Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours of purchase or use. If the weather temperature is 90 ˚F or above, cut this time down to one hour.
- Freezing food can help it last longer. Check out these tips for handling frozen foods safely.
- Leftovers stored in the refrigerator should be eaten within 3 to 4 days. Heat leftovers to 165 °F before eating them.
Follow this advice to help you maintain food safety while trying to save money!
