You are here
Food Safety at Home
We dine out for many reasons. Whether it's for a special occasion, catching up with friends and family or out of necessity for a busy work schedule, we are dining out more than ever.
Many times we find ourselves with left overs and you want to keep them as safe as possible for subsequent enjoyment.
Here are some simple tips for keeping that food safe!
- Get your food into the refrigerator as soon as possible. If you hold it at the right temp, ideally 41F degrees or less, you can hold it for 3-4 days.
- Mark a date on the package, if by chance it doesn’t have one.
- Reheat the food thoroughly - your target is 165F or higher.
- You may realize that you generally take food home from your dining experience - don’t be afraid to even pack a little cooler with an ice pack before you go. You will help keep your food even safer for the trip home.
- If you by chance left your food in your car or on the counter for too long - you should throw it out.
If you don’t already have a good kitchen thermometer to measure food temps with, you should get one. Thermometers are great for cooking the perfect pork loin as well as reheating those left overs with safety in mind.
Many times our own refrigerators are not holding at the correct temperatures. If you don’t know the temperature inside your refrigerator, there are great, inexpensive, thermometers you can put inside to tell you.
Vicki Griffith, CP-FS
Vice President, Food Safety, Health and Sanitation
Farmers Restaurant Group
