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Publication #FAR8713

 

Mailing Perishable Food Gifts1

Amy Simonne2

Figure 1. 
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As many working American families are busier than ever, it is no wonder why many families are turning to food gift catalogs or Internet sites for perfect holiday treats or to mark a special occasion. While mail order operators have a good food safety record, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) offers food safety tips to help buyers and consumers determine if their perishable foods have been properly handled.

Be familiar with the temperature danger zone, which is the temperatures between 40º and 140º F; in this temperature range, dangerous bacteria can grow fast and cause foods to be unsafe. Invest in a food thermometer so that if you receive a perishable food, you can check the temperature upon arrival.

When you order or receive a perishable food package, make sure that the company sends perishable items, such as meat or poultry, cold or frozen and packed with cooling materials. The package should be well insulated. Make sure that the perishable food is shipped fast (ideally overnight) and that it has proper labeling. If you receive a package labeled as "Keep Refrigerated," you should open it right away and check the temperature of the product. Frozen foods should arrive frozen or partially frozen, with ice crystals still visible. If by any chance perishable products arrive in your home warm, notify the company. Do not consume the food or even taste suspect food. Taking simple precautions can help your family enjoy the gift of food.

Listening, learning, and living together: it's the science of life. "Family Album" is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and of WUFT-FM. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website at http://www.familyalbumradio.org.

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Reference

USDA/FSIS. (2006.) Safe food handling: Mail order food safety. Retrieved July 30, 2007, from http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Mail_Order_Food_Safety/index.asp

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR8713, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 280 and published February 2009. Reviewed March 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Amy Simonne, associate professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.