Knowing the correct temperature range to store your frozen and chilled products is important for a couple of reasons.

Not only is it possible for food stored in the wrong temperature range to give you food poisoning, but it is also the main reason that massive amounts of food is thrown out each year. To ensure your food stays fresher and bacteria-free for longer, make sure you are storing it correctly.

This isn’t just important when transporting frozen and chilled goods either, but also at home. Check out our guide on How To Store Food After Shopping and continue reading to find out how you should be storing your food.

Chilled Products

This range is from 0 to 4 degrees Celsius and is the standard refrigerator temperature. This is predominately used for fresh food to delay their deterioration and decomposition. Examples of products stored in this temperature include:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Diary products
• Meats, seafood and poultry

Each of these food products have different requirements to keep in mind when storing them. Meats are particularly difficult to store and it is imperative that they are kept under the 4 degree critical point. Fresh meat shouldn’t be kept for too long, and poultry and seafood should be packed in ice.

As for fresh produce, there are exceptions to the under 4 degree rule. Bananas and potatoes, for example, should be stored at a slightly warmer temperature. As for the others, the time they can be stored for can vary but as a general rule, they will ripen much more slowly in a refrigerated environment.

If your food is left out of the fridge, use the 2 hour / 4 hour guide to check if it is still safe to eat (particularly for potentially hazardous products). For products that have been in an environment warmer 4 degrees for less than two hours, they can be refrigerated again but if more than 4 hours has passed, it must be thrown out. In between 2 and 4 hours, eat it immediately!

Frozen Goods

When storing or transporting frozen foods, the temperature must be below  -18 degrees Celsius as above this temperature, the products can become discoloured and lose their quality and vitamin content.

Make sure your freezer products are properly wrapped to avoid freezer burn and to ensure that they last as long as possible. Make sure you’re rotating your products regularly as well… use the FIFO method (first in, first out) to keep on top of things!

At Cannon Logistics, we’re the experts in refrigerated transportation. To ensure that your products are kept in the correct temperature range and delivered ‘as sent’ to your destination contact us to book today!