Fresh food care
For best results:
Store foods that are very fresh and of good quality.
Ensure that food is well wrapped or covered before it is stored. This will prevent food from dehydrating,
deteriorating in colour or losing taste and will help maintain freshness. It will also prevent odour
transfer.
Make sure that strong smelling foods are wrapped or covered and stored away from foods such as
butter, milk and cream which can be tainted by strong odours.
Cool hot foods down before placing them in the fridge.
Dairy foods and eggs
Most pre‐packed dairy foods have a recommended 'use by /best before/best
by/' date stamped on them. Store them in the fridge and use within the
recommended time.
Butter can become tainted by strong smelling foods so it is best stored in a
sealed container.
Eggs can be stored in the fridge.
Red meat
Place fresh red meat on a plate and loosely cover with waxed paper, plastic
wrap or foil.
Store cooked and raw meat on separate plates. This will prevent any juice
lost from the raw meat from contaminating the cooked product.
Poultry
Fresh whole birds should be rinsed inside and out with cold running water,
dried and placed on a plate. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil.
Poultry pieces should also be stored this way. Whole poultry should never be
stuffed until just before cooking, otherwise food poisoning may result.
Cool and refrigerate cooked poultry quickly. Remove stuffing from poultry
and store separately.
Fish and seafood
Whole fish and fillets should be used on the day of purchase. Until required,
refrigerate on a plate loosely covered with plastic wrap, waxed paper or foil.
If storing overnight or longer, take particular care to select very fresh fish.
Whole fish should be rinsed in cold water to remove loose scales and dirt
and then patted dry with paper towels. Place whole fish or fillets in a sealed
plastic bag.
Keep shellfish chilled at all times. Use within 1 – 2 days.
Precooked foods and leftovers
These should be stored in suitable covered containers so that the food will
not dry out.
Keep for only 1 – 2 days.
Reheat leftovers only once and until steaming hot.
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