When to throw away food?

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Proper storage practices keep you from throwing away too much food, but like it or not, you're bound to have to throw away some of your food from time to time. Knowing how long food can be stored and the signs that it has gone bad will ensure that you always use clean ingredients to prepare your food, free from exposure to pathogens.

1. A few ways to store food safely

Test food by smell It is safer to smell food by smell than taste it to decide if the food is still usable. But it shouldn't be used all the time, as not all germs make food smell or taste bad. It's a good idea to label and date foods in your refrigerator and freezer to see how long they've kept. If you're not sure if some leftovers are still usable, don't hesitate, just throw the food away: "When in doubt, throw it out."
“Two-hour/four-hour” guidance The temperature range that is considered a “danger zone” for food storage is 5°C to 60°C, where most food poisoning bacteria are common. suitable development. To avoid the “danger zone”, keep hot food above 60°C and store it below 5°C.
The “two-hour/four-hour” guideline also helps avoid food poisoning from leftovers. If perishable foods are placed in an environment between 5°C and 60°C then:
Less than 2 hours, you should prepare them immediately or store them appropriately. Between 2-4 hours, process them immediately. For more than 4 hours, throw away the food. So, after a long lunch if there is still leftovers on the table on a warm sunny day, it is best to discard the food or consume it immediately.

2. Know when to throw some foods away

Mayonnaise This applies to any sauce or salad - coleslaw, potato salad, avocado - made with mayonnaise. You should discard the mayonnaise if it has been outside for more than 8 hours when the ambient temperature is higher than 10oC. Also, if the ambient temperature is warm, throw it out if it's been left outside for 2 hours or more. Of course, you also don't keep the mayonnaise if it's past the "use by" date on the case.
Butter Heat, light and air can cause butter to go rancid, have a sour or unpleasant taste. If you just bought it from the store, avocado can keep well in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. However, if stored in the freezer, you can use up to 9 months if it is well wrapped in plastic. When you want to use and need to soften the butter, just leave it on the table for 10 to 15 minutes.
Milk Bacteria grow quickly in milk, so throw it out if it smells bad or leave it out in the fridge for more than a few hours. Milk stored in the refrigerator can be used for 2 weeks or longer - until the expiration date. You can freeze milk for up to 3 months, however it will lose its smooth texture.
Cheese When mold appears in cheese, throw it away. Some cheeses are also usable for a short time despite their expiry date. Hard cheeses like Cheddar cheese can keep for a long time. If it's a soft cheese like Mozzarella or Muenster, you can use it for months. Cream cheese can keep for 2 to 3 weeks, but softer varieties like fresh cheese and Ricotta only keep for about 10 days.
Cooked meat Store cooked chicken or beef in the refrigerator and use within 5 days, ham for up to 2 weeks. But it's important to keep in mind when you're handling any kind of meat: wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling raw meat or fish. Use separate cutting boards and utensils when preparing other foods.
Unprocessed beef Unprocessed beef is best used within 3 to 5 days if kept in the refrigerator, however throw it away if past this time. If the beef is sealed with a vacuum seal, it can extend the time by a few more days.
If kept in the freezer, beef is still safe to use for many months, although the taste and quality of the meat slowly deteriorates.

Fresh ground beef Stored beef will naturally turn slightly dark red over time, but this does not mean that the beef is no longer usable. And of course, it doesn't keep as long as whole beef, you can use it within 1 to 2 days when storing fresh ground beef in the refrigerator. Part of the cause of this problem is that bacteria on the surface of the meat get mixed up in the meat as it grinds. When storing it in the freezer, fresh ground beef will keep for 3 or 4 months.
Pork Fresh quality pork will be pink and firm. Pork will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, longer if stored by vacuum, and up to 6 months if kept in the freezer.
Chicken Chicken, whole or cut into small pieces, boned or pureed, best used within 2 days. If you have frozen chicken, thaw it in the refrigerator for a day or so. You can then re-freeze if not using, however this can change the flavor and texture of the chicken. Preserve chicken by freezing, you can use it in:
Whole chicken: 12 months Break into pieces: 9 months Ground chicken: 3 to 4 months Organs: 3 to 4 months Meats Cold The first rule to remember is to always follow any use or throw away instructions when food is past its expiration date.
Sausage will keep for about a week in the refrigerator after you open it, 2 weeks if you haven't opened it. Similarly, canned meat is good for 3 to 5 days after opening and 2 weeks if unopened. Freezing any deli meats helps prevent bacteria from entering, but the quality will start to decline after a month or two.
Eggs Raw eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 weeks. One method to help preserve eggs for a longer time is to beat the yolks and whites together, place them in an airtight container, and put them in the freezer.
Dishes made with eggs, such as casseroles, pies and desserts, should only be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or a month or two in the freezer.
Fish Fresh fish should be stored in the freezer. If it is a fresh fish, the fish will have clear and round eyes, not flattened or cloudy, the skin of the fish is shiny and soft to the touch without the milky white slime. Fish meat must be tender, smell fresh and not darken. Rotten fish has soft or smelly flesh.
If not processed, you should wrap the fish with plastic bags or foil and store it in the freezer.
Shellfish Shellfish when not eaten raw can cause serious illness, so don't hesitate to throw it away when it's no longer usable. Ideally, you should buy shrimp and oysters on the day you plan to use them. If they are fresh, they will close when you tap them with a fork or your finger. Discard clams and clams that have cracked or dead shells.

Fruits, vegetables Your feeling is the basis for evaluating whether vegetables are fresh or not. Sometimes, you can cut off the bruised or faded parts of fruits and vegetables, and keep them fresh for later use. But if most of the vegetables have changed in color or flavor, throw them in the trash quickly.
Wash all fruits and vegetables just before eating, and be sure to dry with a clean paper towel. Store vegetables in the refrigerator, especially prepackaged varieties. Never withhold if fruit or vegetables come into contact with water run-off from raw meat, poultry or seafood.
Proper food preservation not only helps ensure nutritional value but also reduces the risk of food poisoning.

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