Storage of Meats Poultry and Seafood

I was also looking for these directions because I couldn't get the vacuum part to work. I finally, by trial and error, figured out how the vacuum sealer works. The bag has to be opened and fits on top AND under the black square in the center under the lid. I noticed that this black "button" was open on the front and not the back, so that is the vacuum. I felt so dumb when I finally figured it out, but wanted to share it, since that was why I was looking for the directions. Anne

Sure thing, honey. Technically, you can refreeze chitterlings after they've been cleaned but not cooked. Just make sure you thaw them in the fridge before cooking them up. But let's be real, chitlins are a one-way ticket to funky town, so proceed with caution.

Yes, cooked meat can spoil if not stored properly. Spoilage can occur due to the growth of bacteria, molds, or yeasts on the meat, leading to changes in color, texture, smell, and taste. It is important to refrigerate cooked meat promptly, store it at the correct temperature, and consume it within a safe timeframe to prevent spoilage and foodborne illness.

Most things frozen can last awhile, but....once you start to see lots of ice crystals on your frozen food, or places on the shrimp that might have dried out with some discoloration then it's probably freezer burnt and been in there too long. A couple months.....

No, it is not safe to eat raw frozen prawns that have been defrosted and then refrozen without cooking them. When prawns are thawed, bacteria can multiply, and refreezing does not kill these bacteria. To ensure food safety, it's essential to cook prawns thoroughly before consuming them.

Yes, halibut can be refrozen if it has been thawed in the refrigerator and has not been left out at room temperature for more than two hours. However, refreezing may affect the texture and quality of the fish. It's essential to ensure it is properly packaged to prevent freezer burn. If halibut was thawed using other methods, such as microwave or cold water, it is best not to refreeze it.

Detection of E. coli in meat would typically indicate contamination rather than spoilage. E. coli is a bacteria commonly found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, so its presence in meat suggests that fecal material may have contaminated the product during processing. Spoilage, on the other hand, is usually caused by different types of bacteria, yeasts, or molds that can grow on the meat and cause it to deteriorate in quality.

Yes, rotting meat can emit methane as part of the decomposition process. When organic matter decomposes in an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment, such as a landfill or a sealed container, methane is produced as a byproduct.

Salt produces a hypertonic solution outside of the cell (more salt outside than on the inside) causing osmosis of water out of the cell to balance the solute concentration. Upon the loss of water out of the cell shrinks and the outer membrane folds improperly making nutrient diffusion and water osmosis more difficult, under very extreme conditions, enough water can be drawn out of the cell to cause the proteins in the cytoplasm to precipitate out of solution within the cell.

Historically, it was derived from bat guano but now it's primarily created by oxidizing ammonia made by the Haber process.

Cheese can last longer when stored in aluminum foil because it helps to minimize exposure to light and air. However, it's important to first wrap the cheese in wax paper or parchment paper before wrapping it in aluminum foil to prevent it from coming into direct contact with the foil, which can impart a metallic taste to the cheese. Refrigerate the cheese properly to ensure its longevity.

It typically takes a few hours for frozen bologna to thaw in the refrigerator and change to a refrigerated state. If left in the refrigerator for an extended period (usually a few weeks), mold may start to form on the bologna due to exposure to air and moisture.

It depends on how quickly the food goes from room temp to frozen. If freezing occurs slowly, like when you put something into a normal household freezer, ice crystals are able to form in the cells and many (most) bacteria die. Some however, survive and are basically dormant (in microbiology the definition of "death" is that all cells are killed and cannot grow back). Refrigeration and freezing therefor are considered bacteriostatic, not bacteriocidal. When you remove the food item from the freezer it is not sterile, since some cells survive. Of course, you know this intuitively, because if you leave it out, it will "go bad". That is the bacteria recolonizing the tissues.

If you are able to rapidly freeze cells (as is done in biology labs, with a ethanol slurry), water crystals do not have time to form. This is how cells are prepared to be stored in deep freeze and can be kept this way for long periods of time.

contain protein, are moist, and are neutral to slightly acidic.

Disinfectants are not typically recommended for use on food products like lunch meat as they may be harmful if consumed. It is best to follow proper food safety practices by keeping lunch meat refrigerated, handling it with clean hands and utensils, and storing it in airtight containers to prevent contamination.

because at hot temperature the bacteria and all that nasty stuff is killed because of the heat, at cold temperatures they can't breed or survive due to the lack of heat, but room temperature is just right for them

Vacuum packed meat means that air is removed from the package prior to sealing it. Nitrogen can be used to flush air out of packages prior to the vacuum sealing process. The idea is that if a tiny bit of air remains in the package, it isn't air but the relatively inert nitrogen used to flush air out of the bag at the time it was vacuum sealed. As an aside, nitrogen is used in the snack industry to package potato chips and the like. Shelf life is given a big boost because the fats and oils used to cook the chips and other snacks are no longer subject to the degrading effects of air.

Meats like beef and lamb can be aged because of their muscle composition and lower water content, which allows the development of flavors and tenderness. Chicken and pork have higher water content and different muscle structures, making them more prone to bacterial contamination and spoilage if not cooked thoroughly. It's important to follow specific food safety guidelines to prevent foodborne illnesses when consuming different types of meat.

Yes. Leave it the fridge long enough and you will see mold growing on it. The truth is, mold spores are on all the surfaces around us. Everywhere. All the time. (Except right after you wipe down a surface. Then they immediately settle again out of the air, where they always are.) But no worries. Just bag and tag your food and couple your knowledge about the length of time it is safe to store things with your awareness of how long things have been in your fridge and you're good to go....

It's safe to store chicken in plastic containers as long as they are food-safe and properly sealed to prevent leakage and cross-contamination with other foods. Make sure the containers are clean and sanitized before use, and store the chicken in the refrigerator below 40°F to prevent bacterial growth.

It shouldn't. Vacuum sealing can he used in 2 ways to enable you to keep it longer. Firstly, vacuum sealed meat keeps in the refrigerator at least twice as long g as it would in the original packaging. The second way is to freeze it after vacuum sealing it. This way it won't get freezer burn. When thawing it, it should left to thaw in the fridge overnight or over a day or 2. If it stinks thst probably means that it wasn't frozen fresh but was left too long until frozen. However many numbers of days left before expiration before you freeze it will be the same number of days until expiration after its removed from the freezer so it's important to freeze meat as fresh as possible.

The following link has information pertaining to your question: http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/bltrkeyb.htm Seven days in the refridgerator. A 20 pound frozen turkey if placed in the fridge will take three days to thaw.

Cooked fish should not stay at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Less time is better. At that point, it should be reheated or refrigerated.