Yay, the holidays are here. It’s a great time to get together with family and friends over food and drinks,… lots of it. Sometimes the leftovers are just as good as the original meal. Remember these holiday food safety tips to ensure that those leftovers are safe to eat.
Mealtime and Packaging
Holiday meals can take a very long time. You can probably sit there all day and evening, eating continuously. Turkey and other holiday foods are only good for a certain period of time, even before they are stored. Keep this in mind. If your food sits out for 8 hours in a heated room, it may already be spoiling. Most experts advise that food not be left out for more than 2 hours. You may want to pack up to your leftovers early and place them in the fridge.
Food Storage Timeframes
Even in the fridge or freezer, food won’t be good forever. FoodSafety.gov provides a helpful chart on different types of foods and how long you may store them in either the fridge or freezer. Here are the timeframes for common holiday foods:
Cooked Turkey: 3-4 days in fridge; 2-6 months in freezer
Soups: 3-4days in fridge; 2-3 months in freezer
Salads: 3-5 days in fridge
Homeowner Liability for Food Poisoning
Homeowners should pay close attention to food safety tips as they could be held liable for food poisoning. Your guests could potentially file a claim against your homeowner’s insurance policy. As you may already know, claims contribute to your history and can result in higher future insurance premiums. To protect your family and friends, and avoid unnecessary increases in homeowner’s insurance expenses, remember these holiday food safety tips and practice good food preparation and storage habits.
