If you regularly cook up a big batch of food to help you get through a busy week, do you give a second thought to how you’re storing it? \u00a0<\/p>\n
Food scientists say how we refrigerate and freeze our cooked food (and for how long) matters for the quality, texture and of course food safety.<\/p>\n
Here’s what they recommend when it comes to how long you can keep cooked food and make the most of your hard work.<\/p>\n
Food safety starts before fridge or freezer storage<\/p>\n
Meal prepping or cooking double batches of recipes for leftovers is a great way to save money, use up ingredients before they expire and to make a busy week that little bit easier.<\/p>\n
Food and nutrition scientist Emma Beckett, based in Newcastle\/Awabakal, says people need to remember the golden rules of food safety before they start cooking.<\/p>\n
“When we chill things or freeze things, we’re slowing down bacterial growth, but the bacteria that goes in, still goes in,” she says.<\/p>\n
“So, washing our hands and using clean containers and all those kinds of things\u2026[are important].”<\/p>\n
Emma Beckett says people should be thinking about food safety before they begin meal prep. (Supplied: Emma Beckett)<\/p>\n
Senaka Ranadheera is a food scientist and associate professor at the University of Melbourne in Naarm.<\/p>\n
He says that potentially hazardous cooked foods include cooked meat or poultry, cooked foods containing eggs, rice, pasta, sandwiches, pizzas, and sushi.<\/p>\n
“Microbes can quickly grow up to unacceptable numbers in these foods,” he says.<\/p>\n
How this couple perfected their meal-prep routine <\/a><\/p>\n Linh Dao and David Tran say three hours of cooking every Sunday helps their whole week run smoothly.<\/p>\n “[Between] 5\u00b0C \u2014 60\u00b0C is the temperature danger zone which allow microbial growths.”<\/p>\n Microbial growths, when ingested, can cause food poisoning.<\/p>\n Dr Beckett says some vulnerable people may have a lower threshold for risk.<\/p>\n “If they’re immunocompromised or pregnant, if they really do not want to take the chance of getting any kind of food poisoning, then they might want food to go into the freezer a lot sooner than other people.”<\/p>\n How long can you keep cooked food in the fridge?<\/p>\n Our experts say that before food enters the fridge, it needs to have cooled.<\/p>\n