Be a Food Safe Office Mate: Help Keep the Office Refrigerator Clean
By Howard Seltzer, FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
When it comes to safe food handling everything that comes in contact with food must be kept clean— including the refrigerator and freezer. You probably keep your refrigerator at home clean, but the office refrigerator may be a problem because it’s typically a shared responsibility. Here are some tips that may help.
Keep it at a Safe Temperature — 40 °F or Lower
Refrigeration slows bacterial growth. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, the "Danger Zone," some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. A refrigerator set at 40 °F or below will effectively slow the growth of most bacteria. The freezer temperature should be 0° F. Be sure to check your refrigerator and freezer temperatures periodically with appliance thermometers.
Keep it Clean
If your office doesn’t already have a schedule for cleaning, why not start one? Make it a habit to throw out perishable foods left in the refrigerator at least once a week. A general rule of thumb for refrigerator storage for cooked leftovers is 4 days.
Wipe up spills immediately before they turn into a major cleaning job. Clean surfaces thoroughly with hot, soapy water and then rinse.
Refer to the Storage Times for the Refrigerator and Freezer chart for storage guidelines of perishable products in the refrigerator. Print a copy and post on the refrigerator door as a reminder for all who use it. To search for a specific food visit the Food Marketing Institutes’ “Food Keeper” website for more storage guidelines.
To keep the refrigerator smelling fresh and help eliminate odors, place an opened box of baking soda on a shelf. Avoid using solvent cleaning agents, abrasives, and all cleansers that may impart a chemical taste to food or ice cubes, or cause damage to the interior finish of the refrigerator. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Storage Basics
- Check storage directions on labels
Many items other than meats, vegetables, and dairy products need to be kept cold. For instance, mayonnaise and ketchup should go in the refrigerator after opening. If you’ve neglected to properly refrigerate something, it’s usually best to throw it out.
- Check expiration dates
If food is past its “use by” date, discard it. If you’re not sure or if the food looks questionable, throw it out.
- Be on alert for spoiled food
Anything that looks or smells suspicious should be thrown out. Mold is a sign of spoilage. It can grow even under refrigeration. Mold is not a major health threat, but it can make food unappetizing. The safest practice is to throw out moldy food.
- Share the responsibility
Do you feel like you are the only one concerned about the cleanliness of the refrigerator? Make it a food safety issue! Not everyone may realize the importance of keeping all food contact surfaces, like the refrigerator, clean. Because bacteria are everywhere, cleanliness is a major factor in preventing food poisoning.
Post this blog on the office refrigerator. Maybe your coworkers will get the hint.
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While I agree with you article about the danger of raw milk, I believe that a person should have the right to purchase raw milk if they want and the sale of raw milk should be allowed intrastate. There are plenty of raw food products out in the markets that are as dangerous as raw milk, such as raw sprouts that cause illnesses and they are still chosen by people. I think all foods that have some inherent bacterial danger should be properly labeled and customers should be allowed to make their choice.