MSU Extension Safe Food & Water

As warmer weather approaches, many people begin preparing for spring cleaning. Tidying up food storage areas tends to be on the to-do list. Have you ever wondered about the freshness and safety of the food stored in your pantry, refrigerator or freezer? Sometimes food gets put in storage, then life happens, and you forget how long the food has been there or if it’s even safe enough to eat. While no one likes to waste food, it’s also important to keep yourself and your family safe from foodborne illnesses.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), roughly 20 pounds of food is wasted per person per month in the United States. Additionally, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year roughly one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die of foodborne illnesses.

With such staggering statistics, it’s no wonder people are cautious when handling stored food. Some may even feel stuck or unsure where to begin. Well, thankfully, there’s an app for that: the FoodKeeper app. The FoodKeeper app was developed and launched in 2015 and has since been downloaded by thousands of users.

Many members of the MSU Extension food safety team use the FoodKeeper app regularly and recommend it to their program participants due to the app’s ability to help consumers understand proper storage methods for many different types of food. The app doesn’t just provide information about storage methods, it also provides general food safety information including:

• Current and recent food recalls.
• Food waste prevention.
• Tips for keeping food safe while shopping.
• Safe storage for frozen, refrigerated and pantry items.
• Food product dating.
• Proper prepping, cooking, cooling and cleaning practices.
• Proper handling of leftovers.
• Handling food safely in a power outage.

If you prefer to learn from videos, the app also includes a number of educational videos demonstrating several food safety practices, including:

• Properly using a food thermometer.
• Avoiding cross-contamination.
• Properly thawing food.
• Proper handwashing.
• Cooking food to safe internal temperatures.
• Cleaning and washing during food preparation.

So, before you begin planning your spring-cleaning schedule, be sure to download the FoodKeeper app to your Android or Apple device. For more resources about reducing food waste, see the MSU Extension article, Five home hacks to reduce your food waste footprint. You can also visit the MSU Extension website for other articles, publications, videos, and more about reducing food waste.

If you have other specific questions about safe food storage or food safety, you can call the Food Safety Hotline, 877-643-9882. Operating hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am- 5:00 pm EST. If you have food safety questions outside of operating hotline hours, or questions not related to food safety, you can visit the Ask Extension website and be directed to an extension expert who can address your specific needs.