Test Your Home Refrigerator Food Safety Savvy #2

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YES is the correct answer.

Using a refrigerator/freezer thermometer is the only way to assure your refrigerator and freezer are at the correct temperature.

The numbers used to adjust the temperature on most home refrigerators only raise or lower the temperature. They do not match specific temperatures. A different setting may be needed during warmer months than colder months to maintain the same temperature.

The United States Department of Agriculture describes the two most common types of thermometers as follows:

Liquid-filled thermometers are the oldest types of thermometers used in home kitchens. As the temperature increases, the colored liquid (usually an alcohol solution) inside the thermometer expands and rises to indicate the temperature on a scale.

Bimetallic-coil thermometers contain a coil made of two different metals with different rates of expansion that are bonded together. The bimetal element is coiled, fixed at one end, and attached to a pointer stem at the other end. As the temperature increases, the pointer will be rotated by the coiled bimetal element to indicate the temperature.

Purchase refrigerator/freezer thermometers in the housewares section of department, appliance, culinary and grocery stores. Buy two! Place one in your refrigerator and one in your freezer. It may be the best $10 to $20 investment you ever make. Two more tips:

Place the thermometer in the front of the refrigerator/freezer in an easy-to-read location.
Check temperature regularly -- at least once a week.

If the freezer compartment isn't a separate freezer compartment, but a compartment inside the refrigerator, it may be impossible to obtain a 0 F temperature. One sign of this will be soft ice cream. Plan to use food within a few weeks.

How to tell if your freezer power was off
when you were away ...

Store an ice cube or two in a sealed plastic bag or small container in the freezer; a sealed bag/container is important so the ice cube doesn't evaporate and disappear. If the ice cube has melted down from its original shape, you'll know the power was off for an extended period of time.

For information on handling your food during a power outage: www.fsis.usda.gov

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