| From Purchasing till Storing |
 Buy cold
food last
Shop at Clean &
Reputable Stores where the hygiene rules are observed.
Read Labels Carefully : Check for the expiration date and Check that the food contains vitamins or minerals and other essential nutrients Buy Items in Sequence : Buy dry materials first and then the perishable food like milk, meat, poultry, and fish which requires refrigeration or freezing. Buy the correct Quality : Buy perishable food & non-perishable food in quantities suitable for the size of your family to avoid throwing away spoiled left-overs. |
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 Getting Food HomeFOODS SUCH AS DAIRY PRODUCTS, meats, chicken,
seafood, foods from the frozen section, and fruits and vegetables need to be kept cool on
the way home. Frozen foods also need to stay frozen. If your car is air-conditioned, in summer carry food containers in the car itself rather than the boot. In winter, if you are travelling with the heater on, place foods into the boot. |
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 Don't wait... Refrigerate!Proper storage maintains quality and prevents contamination. WHEN YOU GET HOME, put foods straight into the freezer or fridge. Pantry items should also be stored away from direct sunlight. At home, refrigerate or re-wrap and freeze meat, fish and poultry immediately. Store canned goods in a cool, clean, dry place. Avoid extreme heat or cold. |
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| Storing conditions for Fruit & Vegetables |
| Wash fruits &
Veggies before storing.
Remember that eggplants, cucumber, okra should go directly into the crisper as they sweat if left in the plastic bags and never store mushrooms in plastic bags, either put them into a paper bag or cloth bag before putting them in the crisper. With fruits the storing conditions vary like apples and berries should always be kept in the fridge for maximum crispness. Same way citrus fruits are fine at room temperatures unless it is very hot, in which case put them into the fridge. Bananas should be kept at cool room temperatures as their skin go brown if they are refrigerated. |
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| Storing conditions for Dairy Products |
 CHECK THE
USE-BY DATE on milk and other dairy products. Place all the chilled foods in the fridge as
soon as you get home and until you are ready to use them. |
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| Storing conditions for Meat , Fish & Chicken |
FRESH MEAT, FISH AND
CHICKEN always carry some bacteria. At room temperature, ba cteria grow rapidly, so these foods must
always be kept cold. Bacterial growth slows down in the fridge, but the bacteria can
survive refrigeration temperatures.They are killed by cooking, but take care that any uncooked products, or any juices that may seep out of them do not come into contact with other foods in the fridge that have already been cooked, or will be eaten raw.  Store meat, seafood and chicken at the bottom of the fridge, or in a covered container in the coldest part of your fridge, so that any juices that drip out won't contaminate other foods on lower shelves. Make sure that fish or other seafood are wrapped and use as soon as possible (and certainly within 2 days). Use chicken and red meat by their use-by date, or within two to three days. |
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| Storing conditions for Eggs |
 ONCE REMOVED FROM THE AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENT of the supermarket, store eggs in the fridge. It is preferable to store them in their cartons rather than in egg containers that are part of the fridge, as the carton provides protection and prevents moisture loss through the shell. |
When Storing Veggies in
the fridge crisper, leave them in the plastic bags provided at the supermarket so as to
prevent loss of moisture and nutritional goodness. 
