Ever wondered if that zip lock bag of frozen peas sitting in your freezer for the past six months is still good food? Turns out, it just might be.
I recently wrote about an experiment I did in visualising historical agricultural prices in Trinidad & Tobago. I had briefly touched on an article I had read about local poultry farmers complaining of imported frozen chicken that was already frozen for 180 days.
So it got me thinking, how long can food be stored before it has to be thrown away? I did some searching on Google and Bing, but I couldn’t find any results specific to Trinidad. There were quite a lot of articles about food storage on various blogs and news sites, however If I’m going to write about proper food storage, then I needed a source that’s reliable.
I travel between Trinidad & Tobago and Canada somewhat often. One of things I appreciate about the Canadian government is their concern about public health and safety. Perhaps, while it may not be the best, they do make quite an effort.
I came across this safe food storage guide a few months ago; I was a little hesitant to use it as a source of information, mainly because Trinidad’s climate is much different than Canada’s. Ultimately I decided to use it, since we’re dealing with the storage of food in a fridge/freezer. To learn more you can visit the safe food storage page on the Government of Canada’s website.
Consumption of improperly stored food can have severe health effects and in some cases lead to death. Foodborne illness or more commonly known as “food poisoning”, is the result of consuming food that has been contaminated.
Symptoms of food poisoning can include:
Symptoms may suddenly, after several hours and even several days after consuming contaminated food. The good news is that most people will make a complete recovery from eating contaminated food. The bad news is that some groups of people are at higher risk of suffering more serious effects.
Groups at higher risk include:
If you believe you have food poisoning, it’s always a good idea to see a healthcare professional. If you believe you contracted food poisoning from a restaurant, you should file a complaint with your local government official and the ministry of health to have the matter looked into.
It is extremely important to keep cold food cold and hot food hot, so that your food never reaches the “temperature danger zone”. This is where bacteria can grow quickly and cause food related illness.
Cleaning your hands, kitchen surfaces and utensils, fruit and vegetables and reusable grocery bags will help eliminate bacteria and reduce the risk of food related illness.
It’s important to consider how eggs are stored. If your eggs have been washed to remove dirt or other organic matter, you must store the eggs in the fridge. When hens lay eggs, there’s a natural coating protecting the egg from bacteria called the “bloom”.
If your eggs haven’t been washed, you can store them in an area that’s dry and cool for about a week. If the eggs have been washed then the bloom is most likely gone and the eggs become susceptible to bacteria growth. The best way to slow the growth of bacteria is a cold environment, such as your fridge.
I had to double check with a friend how eggs are handled in Trinidad & Tobago between producer and consumer. Years ago it was common to buy eggs from local suppliers who usually did not wash the eggs. Now, most individuals purchase their eggs from supermarkets, which means more likely than not they were washed. If you are unsure, you can always read the information on the carton or ask an associate who works there.
Washed eggs, or no washed eggs. It’s still a good idea to store your eggs in the fridge, preferably in the back of the fridge where it will maintain a constant cool temperature even if the door is open. Eggs stored in the fridge will always last longer.
The following recommended refrigeration times are for safety, and the freezing times are for quality. If you store properly wrapped food in your freezer the quality may be maintained for longer periods of time.
| Food | Refrigerator at 4 °C (40 °F) or lower | Freezer at – 18 °C (0 °F) or lower |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh meat | ||
| Beef | 2-4 days | 10 – 12 months |
| Pork | 2-4 days | 8 – 12 months |
| Lamb | 2-4 days | 8 – 12 months |
| Veal | 3-4 days | 8 – 12 months |
| Ground meat | 1-2 days | 2 – 3 months |
| Fresh poultry | ||
| Chicken/Turkey – whole | 2-3 days | 1 year |
| Chicken/Turkey – pieces | 2-3 days | 6 months |
| Fresh fish | ||
| Lean fish – cod, flounder etc. | 3-4 days | 6 months |
| Fatty fish – salmon etc. | 3-4 days | 2 months |
| Shellfish – clams, crab, lobster etc. | 12-24 hours | 2-4 months |
| Scallops, shrimp, cooked shellfish | 1-2 days | 2-4 months |
| Ham | ||
| Canned ham | 6-9 months | Don’t freeze |
| Cooked ham | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
| Bacon and sausages | ||
| Bacon | 1 week | 1 month |
| Raw sausage | 1-2 days | 1-2 months |
| Pre-cooked sausage links or patties | 1 week | 1-2 months |
| Hot dogs | ||
| Un-opened hotdogs | 2 weeks | 1-2 months |
| Opened hotdogs | 1 week | 1-2 months |
| Lunch meat and deli food | ||
| Un-opened lunch meat | 2 weeks | 1-2 months |
| Opened lunch meat | 3-5 days | 1-2 months |
| Deli packaged lunch meat | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
| Deli or homemade salads | 3-5 days | Don’t freeze |
| Leftovers | ||
| Cooked meat, stews, egg or vegetable dishes | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
| Cooked poultry and fish | 3-4 days | 4-6 months |
| Meat broth and gravy | 3-4 days | 4-6 months |
| Soups | 2-3 days | 4 months |
| Frozen dinners | ||
| Keep frozen until ready to cook | 3-4 months | |
| Eggs | ||
| Fresh in shell | 3-4 weeks | Don’t freeze |
| Fresh out of shell | 2-4 days | 4 months |
| Hard-cooked | 1 week | Doesn’t freeze well |
| Egg substitutes un-opened | 10 days | 1 year |
| Egg substitutes opened | 3 days | Don’t freeze |
| Dairy products | ||
| Un-opened milk | Best before date | 6 weeks |
| Opened milk | 3 days | Don’t freeze |
| Un-opened cottage cheese | Best before date | Doesn’t freeze well |
| Opened cottage cheese | 3 days | Don’t freeze |
| Un-opened yogurt | Best before date | 1-2 months |
| Opened yogurt | 3 days | Don’t freeze |
| Soft cheese | 1 week | Doesn’t freeze well |
| Semi-soft cheese | 2-3 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Firm cheese | 5 weeks | 3 months |
| Hard cheese | 10 months | 1 year |
| Processed cheese | 5 months | 3 months |
| Un-opened salted butter | 8 weeks | 1 year |
| Un-opened unsalted butter | 8 weeks | 3 months |
| Opened butter | 3 weeks | Don’t freeze |
| Vegetables | ||
| Beans green or waxed | 5 days | 8 months |
| Carrots | 2 weeks | 10-12 months |
| Celery | 2 weeks | 10-12 months |
| Leaf lettuce | 3-7 days | Don’t freeze |
| Iceberg lettuce | 1-2 weeks | Don’t freeze |
| Spinach | 2-4 weeks | 10-12 months |
| Summer squash | 1 week | 10-12 months |
| Winter squash | 2 weeks | 10-12 months |
| Tomatoes | Don’t refrigerate | 2 months |
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