Tips for Food Safety

Most often people contract a foodborne illness, commonly referred to as food poisoning, when eating food that was not cooked properly or left out too long. What some may not realize is that foodborne illness can also occur when eating food that has been left in the refrigerator too long.
Over time, bacteria, such as listeria, can grow on foods stored in the refrigerator. Listeria is known to cause listeriosis, a serious infection that effects individuals, like cancer patients, with a weakened immune system. Here are some helpful tips to avoid foodborne illness from foods stored in the refrigerator:


Refrigerator Safety

• Set your refrigerator temperature below 40°F. This keeps harmful bacteria from growing. Storing food in a refrigerator with temperatures higher than 40° increases the likelihood of food borne illness.
• Sort through the contents of your refrigerator at least once a week.

Safely Enjoying Leftovers

• Refrigerate all leftovers promptly. Perishable leftovers should not stay out of refrigeration longer than two hours. In hot weather (90°F or above), this time is reduced to one hour.

Food	Keeps Up To
Cooked fresh vegetables	3 to 4 days
Cooked pasta	3 to 5 days
Cooked rice	1 week
Deli meat	5 days
Meat:
- Ham, cooked and sliced	3 to 4 days
- Hot dogs, opened	1 week
- Lunch meat, prepackaged, opened	3 to 5 days
- Cooked beef, pork, poultry, fish and meat casseroles	3 to 4 days
- Cooked patties and nuggets, gravy and broth	1 to 2 days
Seafood, cooked	2 days
Soups and stews	3 to 4 days
Stuffing	1 to 2 days

Information adapted from American Dietetic Association "Refrigerator Safety"Content provided by the Joan Karnell Cancer Center