RVing Tip of the Day Tummy troubles? Your RV refrigerator may be to blame by Russ and Tina De Maris If an army travels on its stomach, I can speak for a lot of RVers that I know — we are an army. Reaching into the chilled recesses of my RVs refrigerator and grabbing something cold to drink or snack on is something I really love about the lifestyle. Your kitchen is always there. But hang on. You don’t have to go to a restaurant or to a party to get sick, said Fur-Chin Chen, Ph.D., a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee. He found a variety of pathogens in a quarter of the refrigerators he inspected during a recent study. Vegetable bins were the most contaminated. While the study was based on home refrigerators, it seems like sometimes when were away from home we may get a bit less fussy about some things. Is your RV reefer safer than the one back home? Well, heres some cold food for thought: There is a disconnect between food safety practices and people’s confidence in preparing foods safely. It’s very hard to change behaviors, said Danielle Schor, R.D., and a senior vice president of the food safety division of the International Food Information Council (IFIC), a nonprofit organization that addresses consumer education. IFIC has taken up the issue of safe refrigeration with a customized campaign. The campaign’s main message to consumers is to purchase thermometers, keep refrigerator temperatures at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and monitor several times a day. Aside from throwing out ready-to-eat foods by package storage dates, refrigerators need a weekly cleaning, a practice that consumers avoid. One study shows that approximately 50 percent of consumers clean their refrigerators once a month. But because consumers fail to clean thoroughly, scientists say that figure is likely exaggerated. So how often to clean the cooler? Once a week, with dish soap, say the chill box experts. Then let the shelves and drawers air dry. Of course, keeping the food temperature down to 40 degrees is a must, and follow recognized safety limits on how long to hold onto food. When traveling, keep a really close eye on food temperature. While we dont advocate traveling with the fridge on, its a good idea to check the inside temperature when you get to your daily stopping point
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:52:09 +0000
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