Food Hygiene Experts Share Tips On Proper Frozen Food Storage

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Freezing is a great way to preserve foods and prevent food waste, as it stops any harmful bacteria from growing and allows you to safely keep leftovers for several months. 

Here, the team at food hygiene training experts High Speed Training share some top tips on freezer safety, how to organise your freezer drawers and how long you can keep food in the freezer for.

Dr Richard Anderson, Learning Experience Director at High Speed Training, said:

Whether you own a stand-alone freezer with drawers, a fridge freezer with a frozen compartment or a chest freezer, keeping your freezer organised is essential to prevent food waste and make the most of your frozen foods.

“Before organising what’s inside your freezer, however, make sure you’ve taken good care of the freezer itself. Defrosting is essential to keep it running efficiently, prevent ice build-up and reduce the running costs. Many new freezers are designed to be frost-free and don’t need defrosting, but older models need to be done at least once a year.” 

What is the Best Container to Freeze Food in?

Most food containers can be used in the freezer, whether they’re made of glass or plastic. Cardboard, plastic food bags and foil containers can also be frozen, but note that cardboard can sometimes go damp or soggy in icy conditions and deteriorate quickly.

Whatever you use, the best freezer containers have a tight-fitting lid or seal to avoid freezer burn, spills and leak, and a way of labelling the container with their contents and the date of freezing.

How Long Can You Keep Food in the Freezer?

Dr Anderson said: “Most foods can be kept in the freezer for up to three months before their quality starts to deteriorate. After this time, the frozen food can still be eaten but it may have changed texture or taste because of the freezing process. 

“When putting food containers into the freezer, make sure you label them accurately. Write down their contents, the date of freezing and the date three months from then to ensure you know exactly what you have and when it needs to be used by.

“Furthermore, remember to always defrost and reheat your frozen foods correctly to maintain food safety. Some foods can be cooked directly from frozen, whereas others must be fully defrosted before use.”

Organisation is key

Unlike your fridge shelves, there are no rules when it comes to where exactly you should store food in your freezer, as each part of the freezer should be at an equal temperature of around -18 °C. If you haven’t defrosted your freezer recently and there’s a large build-up of frost and ice at the back, then this part will likely be the coldest because the air can’t circulate properly.

To organise your freezer drawers well, it’s a good idea to designate different drawers for different food types. As an example, you could use:

• The bottom freezer drawer for frozen fruit and vegetables – peas, sweetcorn, broccoli, oven chips, berry mixes, etc.
• The middle freezer drawer for frozen meat, fish and dairy products – chicken breasts, chicken nuggets, beef mince, battered fish, salmon fillets, ice cream, frozen milk, cheese, etc.
• The top freezer drawer for labelled containers and bread products – leftovers, batch cooking, ready meals, soups and sauces, bread loaves, garlic bread, etc.

Separating your frozen food types like this will make them much easier to locate when you need them and help you prevent food waste.

For more information, please visit High Speed Training and view their range of food hygiene training courses.