Picnics on the boat. Cottage barbeques. Dining alfresco.

A lot of our warm season activities seem to involve eating and drinking outside and/or transporting food from one place to another. So perhaps it’s time to share some expert advice on safe food handling, preparing and storing food.  

Keep your fridge clean

Wipe spills immediately and be sure to prevent drips from thawing meats. Store leftovers in tightly covered containers or sealed storage bags.  

Opt for top-notch refrigeration

Quality cooling is the key to food safety. Liebherr’s European made fridges are well engineered, have sealed compartments and offer unique features that to keep your food both fresh and safe. (for more information visit lieberr.com).

Think about the following 5 tips before you fire up the grill

1. Marinate and store raw meat at 4 degrees C or lower—never marinate at room temperature and avoid using the liquid as sauce on your meat unless you boil it first.

2. Wash your hands after handling raw meat

3. Avoid cross contamination of ready to eat foods with raw meat

4. Use a clean plate when taking food off the grill

5. Use a digital thermometer to ensure you have cooked meat thoroughly 

Refrigerate or freeze perishables right away. Never allow foods like meat, poultry, seafood or eggs to sit at room temperature—more than one hour above  90 degrees is not recommended. 

And, heck directions on labels. If you’ve neglected to properly refrigerate something, it’s usually best to throw it out. Note best before dates. 

Use ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible.  Keep luncheon meats and prepared sales in the refrigerator. Separate raw foods from ready-to-eat and cook to safe temperatures. Be alert for spoilage bacteria that make foods go bad.  

Keep your appliances at proper temperatures. Your fridge temperature should be kept at or below 40F. The freezer should be -18C. Check your temperatures periodically and if you lose electricity for some reason keep the doors closed. Most fridges will keep food cold for about 4 hours if left unopened and a full freezer will keep an adequate temperature for about 48 hours if the door remains closed.

For more information on the best refrigeration solutions for your home visit: euro-line-appliances.com/