How to make sure that your Frozen Foods are safe

From time to time, there have been controversies in the news about frozen food manufacturers and the safety of the foods they are selling. In 2007, thousands of people got sick from salmonella tainted Banquet brand pot pies, made by a major company called ConAgra. If you eat frozen pizza, TV dinners, frozen vegetables, or any other product from your grocers freezer that must be cooked or heated before eating, you need to make sure that your frozen foods are safe.

Instructions

• 1

  Carefully inspect packages of frozen products before you purchase them. If you find any damage to a package such as rips or tears, do not purchase it. If the packaging is cardboard or paper and it appears to have water marks on it as if it were once thawed and then refrozen, do not purchase it and give it to a grocery store clerk alerting them to the damaged item. Look for pinholes in plastic bags. If you can see the item through the packaging, do not buy it if it is covered in frost. This means it could be freezer burnt.

• 2

  Check the expiration dates on the food packaging. Do not purchase or consume any type of frozen foods that have expired. Frozen foods have a shelf life, just as many other food products do.

• 3

  When grocery shopping, make the freezer section the last place you visit before you proceed to the checkout counter. This will ensure that your products stay frozen as long as possible. If the products begin to thaw out, they will need to be cooked and eaten or thrown away. Do not try to refreeze them.

• 4

  Once you have found a safe package and gotten your frozen food home and safely into your freezer, you are sill not out of danger. Rotate the stock in your freezer and keep a watchful eye on those expiration dates. Once it is time to consume your frozen foods, read the cooking instructions very carefully. Prepare the food exactly as directed on the package according to manufacturer's specifications. Make sure you cook the food thoroughly; do not just heat it up enough to make it warm and eat it. Some frozen products are not fully cooked before they are frozen. This can be especially dangerous for the frozen foods that contain meats, such as pizzas and pot pies. Be aware of the dangers that frozen foods present and follow a few simple steps to keep you and your family safe from illness