Frozen food, if not handled the right way can lead to food contamination. Much have been written on this topic and I hope to give you a quick insight into what to look out for when handling frozen food.

Frozen food can be categorize into:

1) Frozen Raw Food

    Vegetables

    Poultry

    Seafood

2) Frozen Processed Food

    Pre-Cooked Frozen Food

    Instant Food

Here's what to take note of:

1) Storage - you should never keep raw food and process food together, frozen or not. This is to prevent cross contamination, always pack your frozen raw food in separate containers from frozen process food. Always seal up opened packaging that is used to pack the food items. If the packaging is damaged, re-pack your food items into re-sealable containers. Remember, always keep frozen food at temperature below 18 degrees celsius...

2) Re-pack - If you are freezing fresh food items (especially seafood and poultry), it is always good practice to re-pack them into individual portions, this allow for easy access ( you only need to take the portions you require ) as well prevents the food freshness from deteriorating. Use a re-sealable container to re-pack your fresh food items into portions. Freeze your fresh food items immediately upon cleaning at a temperature below 18 degrees celsius.

3) Preparation -  Never thaw frozen food at room temperature, the difference in temperature from the freezer into the room temperature will cause the outer part of the food item to thaw at a faster rate than the inner part. This increases the chances of bacteria attack to the outer part of the food. Always thaw your food item in your chiller part of the refrigerator. If you know what you are going to consume the day before, bring it out of your freezer and let it thaw in the chiller overnight.

The temperature increase is more gradual, thus allowing your food to thaw without it being attack by bacteria. This is also a better way to manage your food item in case you forget that the food item is left out in the open, you can still consume the food item within 2 days as it is kept chilled in your chiller. Note that it takes about 8 hours for your frozen item to thaw in the chiller, so prepare in advance.

4) Do not refreeze - Once your food item has thawed, do not attempt to re-freeze it. This increases the chances of bacteria attack. Simply keep it in the chiller, and consume it within 2 days. If you are using a re-sealable container, place a slice of fresh cut lemon, this might increase the duration you can keep your thawed food item in the chiller. Always remember, if your thawed food item smell or taste weird, dispose immediately.

5) Consume immediately - for best freshness after thawing your food items, always cook or consume it immediately. This greatly reduce the chances of bacteria attack, and ensures that you and your family consume the freshest possible.

6) Microwave thawing - If you are in a hurry, do not have time to thaw your frozen food overnight, and you happen to have a microwave... use it! Most modern microwaves have defrosting function. Simply place your frozen product into the microwave, press the defrost button and set it to 3 - 5 mins depending on the portion size of your food item. Voila! Remove, Cook, Serve!

7) Maintain your freezer - Most household refrigerators are the least cared-for-appliance at home, it works quietly (for some) and diligently. Most of us do not think much of the refrigerator until it decides to go on a strike, then we will know of it's importance. Food gets damaged, resulting in a whole load of wastage and then another trip to the supermart to stock up on fresh new items, more expense...

Most refrigerator can last up to 2 years without servicing. However, there are days when it decide to gave way. Here are what you should look out for:

1) It's been 2 years since you last service your refrigerator

2) The refrigerator start producing unusual noises

3) The temperature cannot be maintained at its manufacturer's recommended temperature

4) Food items get damaged faster than usual

5) You often overload your refrigerator (see below)

These are some indications for you to call for your refrigerator service technician. They will be better equipped to advise you.

8) Do not overload your refrigerator - For those of you who love buying food items in bulk, do take note. Although there are significant cost benefits from buying in bulk, do ensure that you are able to store them in your refrigerator without overloading it. Stuffing food items into your refrigerator till the point of overloading causes your refrigerator to work harder, your refrigerator has to consume more electricity to keep its motor running harder to maintain the temperature necessary to keep your food fresh. Overloading also overwork your refrigerator's motor, thus shortening it's life span.

Overloading your refrigerator, especially if your refrigerator is one with a smaller capacity often will cause it to not work optimally to chill or freeze your food item properly. This often causes your food items to have a shorter life span and you end up wasting more food. So do keep this in mind...

If you have any tips that you use to keep your frozen food fresh, why not leave a comment so that others like you can benefit from it?