Worksite Food Safety

 As we move closer to June, we move into National Safety Month; a month 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 and the cornerstone of food safety is the refrigerator. 

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. Keeping your worksite refrigerator clean, organized, and working properly can help keep you and your co-workers healthy. Here are a few tips to remember about your refrigerator:

• 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. Such a 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. 
• Check Expiration Dates - Regularly check expiration dates on perishable items and discard any that are past their prime.
• 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 and can help add healthy options to your workday meals, but it is often overlooked as a place that can harm your health. Taking these steps can help make your lunchtime food safe and flavorful. And remember… when in doubt, throw it out! 

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.