Are you interested in keeping your family safe this winter? As the cold weather rolls in and gatherings with friends and family occur more frequently, we often think about the colds and viruses that can make us sneeze, cough and sniffle.
But what if one of the biggest threats to us this season, or any time throughout the year, is lurking right in our homes and kitchens?
The Partnership for Food Safety Education recently launched a campaign called “Go 40 Degrees or Below” to emphasize the importance of keeping refrigerators set to a safe temperature. Getting sick with food poisoning by way of food-borne illnesses is not the best way to start the holiday season.
Did you know that every year one in six people across the U.S. gets sick from eating food contaminated with bacteria? Keeping your refrigerator fixed at 40 degrees or below will reduce the risk of contaminated food.
So how do you know your refrigerator temperature? Can you tell by the temperature control dial in your fridge?
The dial does not indicate the actual temperature, just the setting. Think of it like your home thermostat: If the heat is set to 72 degrees, the temperature in various parts of your house can range anywhere above or below that number.
One way to know the temperature of the inside of your fridge is to use a refrigerator or freezer thermometer. These inexpensive devices are easily attached to a sidewall or shelf.
Remember that bacteria grows rapidly in the Danger Zone of 40 degrees to 140 degrees. Be sure to refrigerate leftovers quickly, keep your fridge set at the correct temperature and discard any food that doesn’t appear safe to eat.
For more tips, visit fightbac.org. Some of the information found in this column came from Debbie Stephenson, the Adult Expanded Food and Nutrition Education program assistant with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension centers of Harnett, Lee, and Moore counties.
