15 Safety Tips for Consuming Leftover Food
Recipe type: Eggplant Recipes
Are leftovers a staple in your home? While eating leftovers can save you money throughout the year and keep you from spending every night in the kitchen, they can also be dangerous if caution is not taken. Below are 15 safety tips for consuming leftover food. Make sure that you are your family are safely consuming leftover food.
· Wash your hands. Before you begin working with leftovers, you need to wash your hands. This should be a general rule that you follow no matter what type of food you are going to consume. Choosing not to wash your hands is like choosing to get sick! Wash your hands before you eat.
· Throw away food that has been left out over 2 hours. If the leftover food has been sitting out at room temperature for over two hours, you must throw it out. Do not take a risk and eat food that may now be consumed with bacteria. Be safe and throw the food in the trash to avoid potentially getting an illness.
· Refrigerate leftovers immediately. To avoid having to throw the food out, refrigerate the food immediately. Once it has cooled to the proper temperature, it must be placed in the refrigerator. As a rule of thumb, refrigerate the leftovers as soon as you complete the dishes. Make it a habit so that you never forget.
· Eat leftovers within 2 to 3 days after being refrigerated. If the food has been in the refrigerator for quite some time, don’t eat it. If you haven’t eaten it within two or three days of it being placed in the refrigerator, throw it out. Some food will spoil even quicker.
· Pay attention to dates. Pay close attention to food that have dates on them. While some dates indicate freshness, others indicate the time in which the food is no longer good.
· Store food in clean containers. Clean containers can ensure that your food stays tightly covered and fresh. Invest in storage containers for your leftovers.
· When reheating gravies, soups, and sauces, heat them to a rolling boil. A rolling boil will help destroy any bacteria that have formed within the food. Before you eat it, boil it.
· Look for signs of spoilage or mold. Make a habit of analyzing leftovers. If you see any signs of mold or spoilage, discard the entire container of food.
· Never reheat more than once. Don’t refrigerate old leftovers. They should only be leftovers once!
· Reheat in a microwave safe bowl or plate. Never reheat in plastic. Take precaution when reheating your food. Reheat in a microwave safe plate or bowl to ensure that you aren’t contaminating your food with chemical from plastic or other substances.
· Use your own dating system to keep track of how old the food is. Use your own unique way of dating and sorting leftovers so that you can always be sure to keep track of how old your leftovers are. It is important that leftovers have dates so that you can ensure the safety of both you and your family.
· Don’t depend on “smelling” to determine if the food is safe. Some people feel that if the food smells okay, then it is okay to consume. Don’t use your nose as your only judgment. While it can be a good indication as to whether or not the food is good, out of date food may not always smell.
· High temperatures can destroy bacteria. Again, heating food on the stove or in the microwave can bring the food to high enough temperatures to destroy any bacteria.
· Ensure that the leftovers have been covered while in the refrigerator. When placing leftovers in the refrigerator, make sure they have a lid. This will keep them safe from bacteria in the refrigerator.
· When it doubt, throw it out! If you have any doubt as to whether or not the food is good, don’t take your chances. Throw it out! Consuming contaminated leftovers can make you and your family very sick.
Use the 15 tips listed above to help you and your family to safely consume leftovers. These tips can help you stay healthy!
The article is written by Caroline. Caroline is a frugal shopper and prefers decorating her home using artificial flower arrangements, decorative Venetian mirrors, classical clocks and lot more.