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How to monitor food quality at home
Is food bought at the market healthier than store food? If you break the expiration date for a couple of days, nothing will happen? Is it best to store milk on the side shelf of the refrigerator?
We deal with these and other controversial statements together with the experts of the grocery delivery service , and at the same time we tell you how to find out that the food on your table is not only of high quality, but also safe for all family members.
Market, store, delivery: where to buy safe products
The prefix “eco” came into fashion several years ago and, it seems, is not going to go out of it: there is nowhere for an apple to fall in the markets of the capital on weekends, and organic products overtake gadgets in popularity.
But, as is the case with gadgets, there is a caveat: the manufacturer is important. Farms are sensitive to the quality of their products, the slightest oversight can cost them their reputation. In large markets, laboratories usually operate in which the goods are checked, and the services for the delivery of fresh products with recipes rely not only on the strength of GOST, but also arrange additional checks for their products. For example, Shefmarket works only with trusted suppliers, but even their products are additionally checked using the Mercury system – it monitors the quality of products from the farm to dispatch to the buyer, and on each package of meat or fish indicates the production time, storage conditions and then, how long the product can be in an open package.
Small spontaneous markets near the metro (or at large covered markets) sometimes seem to be a salvation: the prices for meat and fish on Danilovsky or Tsentralny bite, but you want ecological products. But it is better not to experiment: it is possible that the cottage cheese, chicken or eggs bought “from the grandmother” will be delicious, but the seller can only vouch for their safety verbally, and this is still not enough for real care of oneself and the family.
Anatomy of a refrigerator: how to store food
The temperature in the refrigerator should be 3-8 degrees. But the further the shelf is from the freezer, the warmer the climate there. Some models have a drawer under the freezer itself, it is coldest here – about 0. Dairy products, fresh meat, poultry and fish, as well as greens should be stored here.
If you have a two-compartment refrigerator and a freezer located at the bottom, the top shelf will still be the coldest area. The temperature here is + 2 … + 4 degrees. All of the above is stored on this shelf (but preferably no more than a day), sausages and semi-finished products, pastries with cream and eggs.
Chowder soup with salmon and shrimps
In the middle of the refrigerator, the temperature is kept at the level of 3-6 degrees. It’s too warm for meat and milk, but ready-made food can be stored here – however, only for 24 hours.
The lowest drawer, where we usually keep fruits and vegetables, is tropical by the standards of the refrigerator. The temperature here is about 5-8 degrees (and in some models all 10). Therefore, no perishable food should be there. The temperature on the refrigerator door is about the same. Here you can store alcohol, ready-made sauces in factory packaging and medicines.
Delicate foods such as chilled meat and poultry and fresh fish should always be kept cold. Therefore, when ordering home delivery of groceries, make sure that they are taken care of during transport. For example, “Shefmarket” transports all perishable products only in thermal packs – they allow you to maintain the desired temperature and guarantee that meat or fish will arrive fresh to you.
Tuna breaded with spices with broccoli (fitness menu)
The invisible enemy: how to get rid of germs
Everyone knows that microbes cannot be seen with the naked eye, but they still think that if something looks clean, it is actually clean. This, of course, is not the case. For a cutting board to smell unpleasant, it takes millions of microbes to work together. And in order to get sick, a dozen viable bacteria are enough. That is why it is so important to thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits in running water, and then rinse them in acidified vinegar, and to wash cutting boards, containers for storing raw foods and knives with an antibacterial agent, scald with boiling water and wipe dry with a towel – microorganisms love a humid environment. By the way, they are found not only on all surfaces. For example, mold spores are literally in the air. Therefore, put all prepared food, diced fruits, vegetables, cheeses and smoked meats in containers with a lid. For the same reason, most of the products from the Shefmarket sets are packaged in a vacuum bag so that there are no surprises.
Seems like nothing: why is the expiration date important?
Any product, from milk to chocolate, has an expiration date. Even if you bought something in the supermarket by weight, this date will be indicated on the price tag. The designation can be of two types: shelf life and shelf life. If the packaging says “Best before” or “Use before” – we are talking about the expiration date. After this period, the product becomes unsafe for health and must be thrown away, even if it looks quite normal – some pathogenic bacteria do not affect the appearance and smell of food in any way.
If the packaging says “It is desirable to use before” – we are talking about the shelf life. After this period has expired, the product may lose its properties – taste, aroma, consistency, but will not become dangerous to health and life. Coffee and tea, cereals, salt, spices, crackers – all this can be used even after the shelf life has expired, but in this case the manufacturer does not guarantee the original quality.
For the safety of customers, when ordering a weekly menu from the Chefmarket, a memo is attached to the set, which indicates the sequence of cooking: at the beginning of the week, it is recommended to cook dishes from the most delicate ingredients, for example, tuna, and leave the “brutal” beef for Friday.