Keeping your Convenience Foods Safe
People are turning to convenience foods such as canned foods,
frozen foods and prepared salads to fill their plates
at dinnertime instead of preparing meals from scratch.
Below are tips from the American Dietetic Association
to help you purchase and store convenience foods safely.
Deli Meats
- Use poultry products purchased from the deli counter within 3 days of
purchase, use red meat deli products within 5 to 7 days of purchase
- At-risk consumers (pregnant women, older adults, babies and people
with weakened immune systems) should consult their medical practitioners
for advice on consuming deli meats
- For best eating quality, always reheat hot dogs before eating
Pre-Prepared Foods
- If eating from a salad bar, go early or ask for fresh batches of the items
- Make sure items like egg salad, macaroni salad and potato salad are properly
refrigerated below 40°
- Check to make sure containers are well-packed in ice
- Be sure to reheat pre-cooked foods such as stuffed chicken breasts, pre-roasted
chickens, etc., and eat them the same day you purchase them
Canned Foods
- Avoid buying canned goods that show signs of bulging, denting or leaking.
- Throw away any canned goods in your pantry with similar signs of
bulging, denting or leaking
- Store canned goods in a cool, dry place--not above the oven or under the sink.
- As a general rule, canned goods can be kept up to 12 months unopened
- Clean cans before opening them to avoid contamination of contents
Frozen Foods
- Choose frozen foods, like dinners or vegetables, from the back of
the freezer case; the items in the back usually remain the coldest and most frozen
- Keep frozen foods tightly wrapped at 0° F or below and date them
- Don't refreeze thawed food items
Dried or Cured Meats
- Don't buy hanging dried or cured meat if the package is cut open
- An unopened package of dried meat will keep for up to one year without refrigeration.
- Refrigerate after opening
Some documents are in PDF format and require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click 