Today we share a series of recommendations to avoid food poisoning and food waste in our homes. We are also going to try to organise them in the most appropriate way.

Let’s start at the beginning. When shopping, start with non-perishable products and leave fresh and frozen products for last, minimising their time outside the refrigerator.

Once at home, we should place fresh meat and fish in the coldest part of ​​the refrigerator, the one in contact with the freezer. Remember that the temperature of the refrigerator should ideally be between 3 and 5ºC to ensure food safety.

As for fruit and vegetables, the ideal area to store them is in the drawers that we usually find in refrigerators, which has a slightly higher temperature. Potatoes, garlic and onions will last longer at room temperature, in cool, dry, dark places.

Other foods such as milk and dairy products or sausages can be stored on the middle shelves at a temperature of between 3 and 8ºC. Likewise, the least cold area, the one furthest from the freezer is suitable for foods that require less refrigeration, such as drinks or products that have already been cooked and do not need very low temperatures.

It’s time to look at our freezers. The optimum temperature is -18ºC. Keeping it clean, avoiding ice and frost, and leaving a gap between the food to prevent spoilage are important issues to consider. Regarding cooked food, it is advisable to let it cool completely before storing it in the freezer. You can speed up the cooling process by using a cold water bath or placing it in the refrigerator before freezing.

Now let’s talk about two concepts that are often confused: best before date and expiration date. The best before date indicates how long the food will retain its quality. After this date, it can be consumed even if its flavour or texture changes. The expiration date on the other hand indicates the limit for safely consuming a food. It is key not to consume expired products, especially meat, dairy products or fresh products.

One last tip: once we open a product for partial consumption, it is important to remove what is left of the original packaging and transfer it to an airtight container to preserve it, both plastic and glass Tupperware are perfect options for this.

Now everything is in order, we can prepare our favourite dishes. Enjoy!

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