1. Watch the Clock
Many of the foods we eat contain the microbes responsible for food poisoning. If you give these microbes a favorable environment, they will multiply until enough are present to cause symptoms of food poisoning. You can prevent food poisoning by observing the length of time you allow food to sit at room temperature. The temperature danger zone for microbe growth is 40 to 140 degrees F, so you must not let foods remain at these temperatures for longer than 2 hours. Use the 2-hour window as a rough guide, for summertime picnic temperatures shorten the duration you can safely leave food on the table.
2. Chill Out
Picnics and buffets aren't the only opportunity for time abuse; refrigerating a large pot of mom's spaghetti sauce can cause problems if you don't cool it down quickly. Allowing a large stockpot full of stew or sauce to cool down on the stovetop in preparation for refrigeration is a ticket to Staphylococcus aureus or Clostridium perfringens. Instead, divide the leftovers into as many shallow containers as you need to enable the product to cool to 40 degrees F within 4 hours. Dividing large portions of food into shallow containers also exposes food to air, which reduces the anaerobic conditions some bacteria need to multiply.
3. Stop the Drip Drop
When you place a container of leftovers in the refrigerator, consider the placement of other foods that could contaminate tomorrow's lunch. The meat drawer is located in the very bottom of the refrigerator for a reason. If juices from the raw chicken you're defrosting trickle down to fried chicken you enjoyed earlier, you won't be able to blame the Colonel for the Salmonella poisoning that ensues. Always store leftovers and other ready-to-eat products above raw meat, and keep both covered to prevent cross-contamination.
4. When in Doubt, Throw it Out
We rely on the expiration dates stamped on foods to tell us when food is safe to eat, and when we should discard it. However, you can't keep an opened package of sliced meat as long as an unopened vacuum sealed package. Once you break into that package of hotdogs, you have 4 to 5 days to enjoy your frankfurters. Sliced deli meat is best when you consume it within 3 days of opening. Fresh uncooked seafood may be the most ephemeral member of your refrigerator; you must cook and eat it within 2 days of purchase. Label your leftovers with the date so you won't be remiss in discarding food that could harbor illness.
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