There's nothing more that can make you lose your appetite than food garnished with nature's own green and white balls of fur--mold. This is a sure sign your food has spoiled. But bacteria aren't always so good at making an appearance. Some guides can help you decide when your food is ready to be tossed out. Read on to learn more. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Check the expiration date. This is the most obvious way. Expiration dates are different than "Sell By" and "Best By" dates. When an item has expired, it is time to throw it out immediately.
2. Trust your nose--it knows. Just take a whiff and your own nose can tell you if you should head straight for the trash can. This is the method people have been using for centuries. Sometimes, however, the nose can't let you know for sure, like in cases where there are several ingredients in one dish. A casserole made with a ton of onions will smell so strongly anyway and will be overpowered by that smell. Also, if your dish has been sitting beside another spoiled dish in the fridge, then it may take on the smell of that dish.
3. Go to the chart. The International Food Safety Council has compiled a Cold Storage Chart on their website that lists how much time certain foods should be kept in the fridge or the freezer before bacteria can start to do its job. You can also call the FDA Food Information Line at (888) SAFEFOOD.
4. Watch the clock. If you're at a family picnic and that fried chicken has been out for a while, chances are it is has gone bad. Same thing with that half-eaten piece of pizza at a party. According to the National Sanitation Foundation, "any time food products are left at room temperature for more than two hours, bacteria can begin to grow and may potentially cause a foodborne illness."
5. Look to the future. Scientists are working on a "dip-stick" test that would detect E. coli, Salmonella, and other disease-causing bacteria. The stick would change color if there are biogenic amines in the food (what are left behind when bacteria starts to decay food proteins). Some tests have shown a 97 percent accuracy.
Tags: your food