National Safety Month - Work Refrigerator Food Safety

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension observes June as National Safety Month. The month is dedicated to preventing causes of workplace injury. Spending so much time in our workplace lends itself to eating, cooking, and storing food in that workplace. Making sure you follow proper food safety measures can help keep you safe from foodborne illnesses.

Improperly stored food is one of the causes of 48 million cases of food borne illness in the US each year. 128,000 of those cases lead to hospitalizations and 3,000 result in death.

Fridge Basics. For workplace refrigerators and those at home, a refrigerator thermometer is recommended to assure that the internal temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or lower. Food kept in between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F for longer than two hours is no longer safe to eat. This rule is good to remember after parties and celebrations when large amounts are served.

Proper Placement. Raw meat, poultry, and fish should be kept on the bottom of the fridge to prevent any liquids from leaking and contaminating any food, but especially food that will be consumed without cooking. 

Cool Down Quick. Large quantities of hot food, like a pot of soup or a large cut of meat should be divided into smaller portions to cool down more efficiently, thus spending less time in the “temperature danger zone”, between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F. Small portions of hot food can be put into the fridge and should be covered to prevent drying out and picking up odors from other foods.

Wipe Weekly. Finally, leftovers are only good for 3-4 days. Shared workplace refrigerators should be emptied of leftovers at least once a week. Shelves can be wiped down with a bleach solution (2 teaspoons of bleach and 16 ounces of water) or cleaning product containing bleach. If using a homemade bleach solution, let the product sit on the surface for two minutes, then wipe dry.

The office refrigerator is a great convenience that can help add healthy options to our workday meals, but it often goes overlooked as a place that can harm your health. If you need a refrigerator thermometer, contact the Rains AgriLife Extension office. Taking these steps can help make your lunchtime food safe and flavorful.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view upcoming events or additional information please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ or follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.