Refrigerator temperature. Store food at the proper temperatures. Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees or below and your freezer at 0 degrees or below.
Cool foods quickly. To prevent any bacterial growth, always refrigerate fresh foods and meals within two hours of purchase or cooking. For quick cooling, divide large batches of hot food into smaller batches or spread out cooked foods in shallow containers and immediately place in your refrigerator.
The clock is ticking. Prepared foods should only be kept in the refrigerator for about four days.
Reheat foods until they are hot. All meals should be reheated to 165 degrees before being eaten.
Use labels. Make sure to label and date your containers so that you can consume foods within the food-safe period.
For more food safety tips, go to fsis.usda.gov.
