Final answer:
Before storing food, it is essential to wash hands, check expiration dates, and rinse fresh produce. Ensure foods reach the appropriate internal temperature to kill bacteria and keep foods at the correct hot or cold temperatures until served. Remember to freeze foods properly and thaw them in safe environments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before storing food, it is crucial to ensure that it is handled safely to prevent foodborne illnesses. Regular handwashing should be performed before and after handling or preparing food. It is important to verify that food has not exceeded its expiration date and to rinse fresh produce before consumption, even if you do not plan to eat the outer skin. Cooked foods should reach an internal temperature of at least 74 degrees C (165 degrees F) to ensure that bacteria are killed, which can be checked using a cooking thermometer. Foods meant to be kept hot should remain hot until served, and foods that are supposed to be cold should be kept refrigerated until being eaten. Moreover, perishable foods should be refrigerated as soon as possible and never be left at temperatures between 4 and 60 degrees C (40 and 140 degrees F) for more than two hours.
When it comes to freezing, make sure the freezer's temperature is maintained below -18 degrees C (0 degrees F) to preserve food indefinitely, although quality may deteriorate over time. Freezing does not kill microbes but merely halts their growth; they become active again upon thawing. Therefore, frozen foods should be thawed in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave and not at room temperature. Once thawed, treat them as fresh perishables. Lastly, to minimize freezer burn, food should be wrapped tightly before being stored in the freezer.