Consumers can improve their household food safety by paying more attention to their refrigerators, according to a panel of experts who addressed home-based food safety issues Monday.

The session, "Consumers' Refrigerators: A Danger Zone," was part of the Institute of Food Technologists' Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans.
 
The researchers said that only 20 percent of consumers use refrigerator thermometers, and only 30 percent are even aware that they should have them in their refrigerators. However, not keeping food refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit can spoil food and increase bacteria.

"Unexpectedly, as education and income increases, risky food-handling practices increase as well," said Sheryl C. Cates, a researcher at RTI International. Panelists speculated that busier lifestyles lead to careless practices.

Cates served as organizer and co-moderator for the session, which brought together four scientists to discuss safety and consumer habits regarding their refrigerators.

"You don’t have to go to a restaurant or to a party to get sick," said Fur-Chin Chen, Ph.D., a microbiologist at Tennessee State University. In a recent study, he found a variety of pathogens in a quarter of the refrigerators he inspected. Vegetable bins were the most contaminated.

Sandria Godwin, Ph.D., R.D. with Tennessee State University, suggested consumers clean out their refrigerator, inside and out, once a week with dish soap, and replace their refrigerator every 10 years. One study showed that about half of consumers clean their refrigerators once a month, but because consumers fail to clean thoroughly, scientists say that figure is likely exaggerated.

The 68th annual meeting included 15,000 food scientists and others in the food technology industry who shared research concerning food habits, obstacles of mainstreaming organic foods, screening of nanotechnology, and industry-based innovations such as finding more ways to bring ready-to-eat foods to grocery stores.

Source:  RTI International News Release          

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