Get the Lowdown on Chill for Food Safety: "Keep it Cool" - That's the Rule: USDA
Susan Conley (301) 504-9605
Matt Baun (202) 720-9113
WASHINGTON, May 19, 2005 – "Keep it cool" - check your refrigerator
temperature to keep bacteria away - that's the message USDA is broadcasting as part of its national
campaign to spread the word about ways to reduce cases of foodborne illness.
"Educating consumers about safe refrigerator temperatures will help continue the decline we have
witnessed in illnesses caused by Listeria, and better protect public health," said USDA
Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Merle Pierson.
The refrigerator temperature should be at 40 degrees F. or below. Recent studies show that the risk of
listeriosis, caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, could be reduced by two-thirds if
foods are chilled to a safe temperature.
Use an Appliance or Refrigerator Thermometer to Check the Temperature
Most people assume that the internal refrigerator temperature control dial is good enough. Only 30
percent of consumers have heard that they should use a separate tool -- a refrigerator thermometer -- to
check the temperature and only 20 percent of consumers say they actually use one, according to a recent
national study.
Relying on the "built-in" refrigerator temperature control dial is not effective. Instead, use a
separate refrigerator thermometer to check the internal refrigerator temperature and help keep food safer.
If the refrigerator thermometer shows a temperature that's too high - above 40 degrees F. then adjust the
refrigerator's control dial. You can buy a refrigerator thermometer at many grocery, hardware or kitchen
specialty stores.
The increased focus on refrigerator temperature grew out of response to the revised Listeria monocytogenes
Risk Assessment released in 2003 by USDA and the Food and Drug Administration. The Risk Assessment showed that raising
awareness of proper refrigeration temperatures could be highly effective in reducing foodborne illness.
Using a separate appliance or refrigerator thermometer is especially critical during power outages. Checking
the temperature is the only way to determine if the refrigerator stayed cold enough to keep foods safe to eat or
if they need to be discarded.
For spring and summer picnics, it is important to pack a refrigerator thermometer in your cooler. The food in
the cooler should also be kept at 40 degrees F. or below. The rule for keeping food safe changes during warmer
weather. While food can be kept out of the refrigerator or cooler for two hours during normal temperatures, if the weather
reaches 90 degrees F. outside then food should be returned to a cooler or refrigerated after only one hour.
BAC Down!
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is working with The Partnership for Food Safety Education, a non-profit
organization that brings together government agencies, industry associations, consumer and public health groups to promote
the BAC Down! Campaign. The BAC Down! Campaign encourages consumers to slow the growth
of harmful bacteria in food by keeping refrigerator and cooler temperatures in the safe range - 40 degrees F. or below.
Visit www.fightbac.org for more tips.
If you have a question about meat, poultry or egg products then call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline toll free at
1-888-MPHotline or 1-888-674-6854, TTY: 1-800-256-7072.
You can call the year-round hotline Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. EST (English or Spanish).
Listen to timely recorded food safety messages at the same number 24 hours a day. Check out the FSIS Web
site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. E-mail questions can be answered by
mphotline.fsis@usda.gov.
