How Long Is Food in the Fridge Safe to Eat?

How many times have you stood in front of your fridge wondering if those leftovers were still safe to eat? If you're like most people, this has happened more times than you can count. It can be upsetting to have to throw away food that has spoiled. Keep that from happening by eating or freezing food before it passes its prime.

Cooked meat and pizza only stays good for three to four days in the fridge. Raw ground meat only stays good in the fridge for a day or two, but you can keep it in the freezer for up to four months. Refrigerated chicken or turkey is only is safe to eat for one or two days but freezes well for about a year.

While food will remain safe to eat for longer periods when frozen, it may not taste as good after a while, so it's important to keep track of how long you've had certain items in the freezer. Don't let leftovers go bad again! For more information visit this website

· Storage Times for the Refrigerator and Freezer [Foodsafety.gov]

Cook Food to Its Safe Minimum Temperature

It's important to cook items to the proper temperature to prevent food borne illness, but it gets confusing keeping all those numbers straight. Check out this guide for the correct temperatures! 

  • Using a food thermometer is the best way to verify the correct temperature. You can't always tell if meat is done just by looking at it, even ground meat.
  • Some meats, like steaks, chops, roasts, fresh pork, and fresh ham, need extra resting time after they have been cooked, so that the temperature can continue to rise and kill harmful bacteria.
  • It's also important you cook to eggs to the proper temperature, but using a thermometer in scrambled eggs doesn't work. Just make sure the whites and yolks are firm before enjoying.
  • With some seafood, you can tell if it is fully cooked by looking. Clams and oysters should be cooked until the shell opens up. Shrimp, lobster, and crab need to be cooked until the skin is opaque. 

· Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures [Foodsafety.gov]

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