Food safety at home can be ‘significant issue’

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Each year, one in six Americans gets sick from a foodborne illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

No one expects food poisoning at home, but it happens all the time. That’s why grandmother Rhea Spear said she takes extra precautions, starting with her trips to the grocery store.

She always pays close attention to sell-by dates listed on packaging.

“Mold starts growing, and even if you can’t see it there’s a reason the date’s on there I think, and you should follow those rules strictly,” she said.

Kroger spokesman John Elliott said it’s a misconception that the grocery stores set those dates arbitrarily.

“There are times actually when there is an industry standard, there are times when the manufacturer of the product sets that expiration date,” he said.

And he said most people don’t know how long to keep food after that sell-by date.

Assuming you buy the food on that sell-by date, the USDA recommends keeping poultry one to two days after purchase. For beef and pork, it recommends keeping it three to five days. Eggs can be kept three to five weeks if refrigerated properly.

But if you take food out of it’s original packaging, Elliott recommends having a system like Spear does so you don’t forget when you bought it.

“I date everything on the bags. I put the date that I purchased it and I always package it that day, and then I know how old it is,” Spear said.

Ultimately, those at the Marion County Health Department believe it’s up to the consumer to know how long food is good once it’s taken home from the store.

“It can be a significant issue,” said Jillian Hicks, Marion County Health Department Food Education specialist.

Raw groceries aren’t her only concern.

Once you cook dinner, Hicks said there is a time limit on how long you can keep food, even in the fridge.

“A lot of times people are keeping leftovers, so you want to keep it three to four days,” she said.

She said if you aren’t sure how old the food is, take an extra step to check it out before you eat it.

That’s especially important with food containing dairy.

“Discoloration of some sort or maybe there’s a strong odor, that would be alarming and something you wouldn’t want to consume,” Hicks said.

And she said food preparation can spread bacteria.

“That’s something that some people forget – you’re touching raw product, you can’t go to something else without washing your hands,” she said.

Spear always follows these rules.

“I have one particular cutting board I use for chicken and it can be cleaned in the dishwasher,” Spear said.

She believes it’s ultimately her responsibility to make sure groceries stay safe for her family once she leaves the store.

For additional information on foodborne illness, click here. And, for additional resources on food product dates, click here.