Sub-Zero BI-36F Built-In Use & Care Guide - Page 32

Keeping Food At Its Best 32 Keeping Food Safe to Eat Most food-borne illness is caused by bacteria such as staphylococcus, salmonella, e-coli and clostridium botulinum (the bacteria that causes botulism). These bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40°F (4°C) and 140°F (60°C), a range that's called the "danger zone". Never leave food in the danger zone for more than two hours. When the bacteria have multiplied to the millions in warm temperatures, they cause illness. Some bacteria cause flu-like symptoms, while others cause serious illness or even death. Young children, the elderly and people who are already ill are more likely to become sick from food poisoning. To reduce your risk of food-borne illness, use the following techniques to keep your food safe to eat: WHEN YOU'RE SHOPPING • Place packages of raw meat, seafood or poultry in plastic bags to keep them from dripping on other foods. • Shop for meat, seafood and poultry last. Do not leave these foods in a hot car when you've finished shopping. Take along a cooler in hot weather or when you have to travel long distances. • Check 'use by' and 'sell by' dates on foods to make sure they're fresh. Use extra care when buying deli food. Buy only the amount you will use in 1-2 days. Discard hot or cold deli food that has been at room temperature for more than two hours. WHEN YOU STORE FOOD • Monitor temperatures of the refrigerator and freezer sections on the electronic control panel of your Sub-Zero unit. Keep the refrigerator temperature at 40°F (4°C) or below and freezer temperature at 0°F (-18°C). • Follow the recommended refrigerator and freezer storage times and temperatures in this guide. • Store raw meat, poultry and seafood separate from other foods. Keep juices from these packages from dripping on other food. • Never taste food that looks or smells strange to test its freshness. Discard it. • For refrigerator storage, leave raw meat, poultry and seafood in its original wrapper unless it is torn. Repeated handling can introduce bacteria to these foods. • Wrap food stored in the refrigerator in foil or plastic wrap, or place it in plastic bags or airtight containers to keep it from drying out. Date all packages. • For freezer storage, use freezer wrap, freezer-quality plastic bags or aluminum foil over the commercial wrap if foods will be stored in the freezer for more than a couple of months. This minimizes dehydration and quality loss. Single layers of aluminum foil may tear and cause freezer burn.