Safe storage of food in refrigerator
The recommended storage times of food in a refrigerator or fridge has been recommended by many reputable agencies world wide. Here we will bring you the recommendations of storage times in a fridge or freezer from some well known world institutions.
The US Government Food Safety website has a table on their website reproduced below, about storage Times in the Refrigerator and Freezer. To quote from their website: “These short but safe time limits for home-refrigerated foods will keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely. For storage times for eggs and foods made with eggs, see Egg Storage Chart”. As mentioned above, this is the table from the US Government Food Safety website reproduced below
How to store food in a fridge safely, How long can food be kept in a fridge
| Category | Food | Refrigerator below 40°F/4°C | Freezer below 0°F/-18°C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salads | Egg, chicken, ham, tuna & macaroni salads | 3 to 5 days | Does not freeze well |
| Hot dogs | opened package | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
| unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months | |
| Luncheon meat | opened package or deli sliced | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
| unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months | |
| Bacon & Sausage | Bacon | 7 days | 1 month |
| Sausage, raw — from chicken, turkey, pork, beef | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 months | |
| Hamburger & Other Ground Meats | Hamburger, ground beef, turkey, veal, pork, lamb, & mixtures of them | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb & Pork | Steaks | 3 to 5 days | 6 to 12 months |
| Chops | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 6 months | |
| Roasts | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months | |
| Fresh Poultry | Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 to 2 days | 1 year |
| Chicken or turkey, pieces | 1 to 2 days | 9 months | |
| Soups & Stews | Vegetable or meat added | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Leftovers | Cooked meat or poultry | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months |
| Chicken nuggets or patties | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 3 months | |
| Pizza | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months |
US FDA recommendations of safe storage of food in a refrigerator or fridge
US Food and Drug Administration or FDA recomendations on food storage in a refrigerator or freezer are given on their website.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India or FSSAI is responsible for the food safety of India and this is what it says on its website
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as a statutory body for laying down science based standards for articles of food and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption ….MORE
Unfortunatly this site is more for businesses and has no advise for consumers, like on how long food can be storaged in the fridge in Indian conditions
How long can food be in a fridge without power
In India this is a very important point, because of the unreliable electricity in many places in India. The important thing to remember is not to open the fridge when there is no electricity, everytime the door of the fridge is opened the cold air in the fridge escapes and hot air takes its place, raising the temeperature of the food inside. How long can food be in a fridge without power depends mainly on the insulation efficiency of the fridge. Almost all manufacturers have their fridges insulated with PUF (Poly Uratane foam) whic is one of the best insulating materials. LG recently claims to have special fridges which can stay cold and preserve food inside for longer times without power.