Food prep is now more popular than ever. Whether you’re a health nut or just someone trying to save a few extra dollars by not buying lunch every day, food prep means you have hot meals and salads ready to go at a moment’s notice. But are you storing those foods correctly?
We spent some time researching food storage and have put together an easy guide to getting it right, from use-by dates to how long you should allow food to cool.
When to toss food
According to The Better Health Channel Victoria, toss food after 3 or 4 days for previously cooked meals.
High-risk foods
According to the Department of Health Australia Foods such as raw and cooked meat and foods containing them, dairy products, anything with egg in it, seafood, cooked rice and pasta and prepared salads should be kept at 5°C or lower to avoid the growth of bacteria.
Low-risk foods
Low-risk foods are unlikely to experience bacteria growth, and include uncooked rice and pasta, breads and biscuits, packaged snack foods, lollies and chocolate. Canned food is safe so long as the can remains sealed.
Freezing food
Never refreeze thawed food, food should always be frozen solid and your freezer set to -15 °C.
Re-heating food
Hot food that is left on a table to cool, should be reheated and eaten within two hours if it is not going to be packed away and stored in the fridge.
Storing food in the fridge
Cool hot food as quickly as possible and store in the fridge as soon as steam stops rising from it.
How to organise your fridge
Raw food should always be stored separately from cooked food, and raw food should always be placed on lower shelves that cooked food.
Use-by Dates
According to Food Standards Australia, food should not be eaten after the use-by date, and can’t be legally sold after the use-by date.
Best before dates
Food Standards Australia reports that you can still eat most foods for a little while after the best before date, but they may have lost some quality.
You might also like:
How long can foods be kept in the freezer
3 ways to use leftover rice, and how to store it correctly
3 brilliant fridge storage hacks
Looking for some food prep ideas? Watch the video below!
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