Ultimate Guide to Frozen Food Storage & Food Poisoning Prevention

Can frozen food be thawed at room temperature? Can the food be eaten after expiration? Better store the food properly to prevent illness! Whether it's caused by gastroenteritis, norovirus or some other nasty stomach bug, food poisoning is a commonplace illness that most of us will unfortunately experience at some point in our lives. The good news is, by taking a few simple precautions, it's possible to greatly reduce the risk of suffering from it. Check the methods out with Cigna Smart Health now!

How to read food shelf life labels?

According to the regulations of Hong Kong, the "best before" date or the “use by” date should be shown on the package to indicate the shelf life of the food. However, the two types of shelf life mentioned above are only applicable to the unopened food. Once the food package is opened, the suggested shelf life might not be accurate anymore. The differences between the two labels are listed in the table below.

Shelf Life Labels	“Best Before”	“Use By”
Function	Indicate food quality	Indicate food safety Use for perishable food
Food Safety	Might be edible after expiration	Edible on the expiry date Not edible after expiration
Food Example	Canned, dried and refrigerated food	Sandwiches,sushi, sashimi

In addition to paying attention to the shelf life labels, storing food in accordance with the instructions on the package is also important for you to prevent bacterial growth in food. Even if the food is within the shelf life, there still is a risk of food poisoning. Therefore, no matter what kind of shelf life label is listed on the package, you are strongly advised to avoid eating the expired food.

Shopping smart

In a wet market, you’ll need to be extra vigilant. All raw meat items should be stored on ice and you should keep an eye out for flies, especially in summer! Even foodstuffs from the supermarket can be teeming with germs. Here are some signs to look out for.

• If raw and cooked meat are stored together, avoid at all costs.
• If the fridge looks overcrowded, avoid buying dairyand raw meat products as it may not cool all items evenly.
• Always check the use-by date even if the food looks and smells fine.

Refrigerator organizing hacks

Household refrigerator is divided into two parts, the fridge and the freezer. Frozen foods such as ice cream and frozen meat, should be stored in the freezer, while fruits, vegetables and fresh meat should be stored in the fridge. If you put every single food item into the fridge, you'd end up with an overflowing and ineffective refrigerator. The key is to be efficient and discerning. Plan your shopping in advance, identify which items need to be refrigerated and which do not, and learn to use your refrigerator effectively.

• Dried and canned foods need to be refrigerated once you open them, ideally in a covered container.
• Store raw meat at the bottom shelf of the fridge. This ensures that meat juices, which may contain bacteria, will not drip onto your cooked foods, fruits and vegetables.. And as cold air sinks, the bottom shelf is often the coldest part of the fridge!
• Monitor your fridge temperature with a refrigerator thermometer. Your fridge should be kept below 4 degrees Celsius at all times — bacteria may start to thrive above that!

Comparing common thawing methods

Avoiding food waste isn't just easy on the wallet, but also an environmentally-friendly practice we should all strive to emulate. However, if you're saving leftovers for later, you need to be careful with your food storage practices. In fact, as defrosting food at room temperature might cause bacteria growth, food should not be kept at room temperature for more than 4 hours. Check out the three safe ways to thaw food below.

	Refrigerator Thawing	Tap Water Thawing	Microwave Thawing
Time Needed	10 hours or above	Depends on the temperature of the tap water	About 5 to10 minutes
Thawing Method	Defrost in the refrigerator can effectively prevent the growth of bacteria	When thawing with tap water , water should be kept running to facilitate faster defrosting	Food has to be taken out for stirring or turning over to facilitate adequate and even thawing for twice
Time Preserved	1 to 2 days	4 hours	Immediate
Notes	The food has to be properly wrapped in plastic wrap to avoid bacteria	The food should be wrapped before putting in water to prevent bacterial contamination, while the equipment and utensil must be cleaned to avoid transmission of bacteria to other food	The food has to be cooked or consumed immediately after thawing to avoid bacterial contamination

Enjoying a nourishing meal should be a pleasant activity and not one that is fraught with danger or anxiety about potential food poisoning. By following these simple precautions, you should be able to keep food poisoning at bay!

Sources：

1. Food poisoning. NHS Choices. Visited 6 April 2016.
2. Temperature danger zone 5°C to 60°C – keep hot food hot and cold food cold. The Food Safety Council of Australia. Visited 6 April 2016.
3. Freezing and food safety. United States Department of Agriculture. Visited 6 April 2016.
4. How to store food safely. NHS Choices. Visited 6 April 2016.
5. 香港預先包裝食物的標籤制度
6. 解凍方法大比拼 - Centre for Food Safety