How to safely store your perishable food

As a successful business, one of the most important things that you can do is to ensure your perishable food is stored safely. If it’s not, the lasting impact on your business can be devastating. Poorly stored food risks bacterial growth, which can cause serious illnesses to people. Food poisoning can be dangerous, particularly to the very young, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. The repercussions have the potential to destroy your business.

Storing your at the correct temperatures is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your business. Ensuring that you have the most suitable refrigeration for your business is crucial to enable you to store your goods safely.

Keep your food out of the danger zone

It’s a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to keep cold food at 8˚C or below. Bacteria can grow between the danger zone of 8 - 63°C. Below 8˚C and the bacteria can’t grow. Above 63˚C and it’s eradicated by heat. This is why your food must always be fully heated through, not just gently warmed. The best practice is to keep your commercial fridges set at 5˚C or below, which allows for some fluctuation before the danger zone of 8˚C is reached. Regular and recorded temperature checks are vital to ensure that your commercial refrigeration remains at a consistent temperature. Variations can be dangerous, as you may not realise that the temperature has crossed into the danger zone. Fluctuating temperatures can also reduce food quality. Regular servicing and maintenance of your refrigerator will help to keep it operating safely and efficiently.

Organisation for good food hygiene

It’s not only the temperature of your refrigerator that’s vital for good food hygiene, but also how you organise your storage. Different food categories should be stored in sections with clear air gaps between them to prevent cross-contamination. Food should be stored in suitable food-safe containers, that can be sealed with lids to prevent spills. Ensure all your food is correctly labelled and stored in the right area of the commercial fridge, and that you follow a first-in first-out system, to use your food in the correct order. Ensure that your refrigerator is cleaned regularly to keep the environment clear of any spills or food debris.

Managing humidity

Humidity can also cause problems with your food storage. Excessive moisture, especially in certain food groups such as dairy, can increase the risk of bacterial growth. It can also shorten the shelf life of certain products, so it’s worth ensuring you keep the humidity levels to a sensible level in your refrigerator. However, certain foods such as cheeses and leafy greens, can benefit from humidity. It might be worth having separate refrigerators if you need to keep different foods at different humidity levels.

Understand food labelling and keep your food and your business safe

It’s essential to understand the difference between use-by dates and best-before dates. The quality of food can diminish over time, so a best-before date indicates the food will be at its optimum before this date. But, you can still safely consume the food after this date.

However, a use-by date means that after this time, the food could be spoilt or bad, and should not be consumed. Good stocktaking, food management and ordering processes will help ensure your produce is consumed during the optimum time period. It’s always sensible to review your ordering strategy if you’re having issues with using produce before the expiry dates.

For the best refrigeration for your business, come to Fridgesmart

If you’re looking for the best refrigeration to safely store your perishable goods, we can help. Good food storage can help to create a safer and more effective environment for your perishable goods. Investing in the best refrigeration for your needs can help maintain the quality of your produce. By spending time considering your refrigeration requirements, you can ensure that you choose the best models for your business.

Our experienced and knowledgeable team is always on hand to discuss the best refrigeration for your business. Whether you’re planning an upgrade or expansion in the future, or you need an emergency replacement, we can help. We have an excellent range of commercial display fridges here, designed to meet the needs of different businesses and budgets. Call us today on 0115 9413640.