Is your Refrigerator Making You Sick?

Many people believe that restaurants and other “outside the home” meal places cause people to be sick after eating. But think again: there can be a lot of bacteria growing in your own kitchen. Why take the chance? Here are few simple things we can do to prevent a 24-hour illness: 1. Wash Your Hands! Sick of hearing it? —then do it! Before preparing foods, especially uncooked foods, such as making a salad or slicing fruit for the kids. 2. Wipe up spills so after the fact: in the fridge and on the counter. Bacteria multiplies quickly, so make the germs disappear. 3. Thaw meat on the bottom of the fridge with nothing under it except for a plate that will be washed while you are cooking the meat. In one of the refrigerators I inspected there was fresh fruit under the thawing hamburger. How about eating a banana with burger juice on it-yuck? I was really thinking why a fresh banana was in the fridge anyway?! 4. Keep that fridge at 35-40 degrees. All of the refrigerators will above 40 degrees. Get a thermometer if you don’t have one. Food will last longer, which means you save money. 5. Label those leftovers! Most last 3-5 days if chilled properly. Freeze what you think you won’t eat. And label that too. Leftovers that are frozen will last “usually” up to 3 months.