Food safety and storage

Storing food correctly will keep it fresher for longer, which can save you time and money. It can also reduce food waste and help keep you and your family healthy.

Why food safety and storage are important

Eating food that has gone off can cause food poisoning. Food poisoning can lead to serious illness and may be fatal in some cases.

Oxygen, moisture and heat are the main reasons bacteria or fungi grow in food, causing it to go off.

Preparing, cooking and storing food properly can help to prevent food poisoning and keep you healthy. Learn more about food safety.

To help you plan healthy meals for you and your family, check out our menu planner.

Safe school lunchboxes

Young children don’t have fully developed immune systems. This means they can be more at risk of food poisoning.

It’s important to keep school lunchboxes at a safe temperature of below 5°C.

You might like to pack a frozen drink bottle in your child’s lunchbox to help keep food cold. An insulated lunch bag can also help to keep food cold.

If you’re making lunches ahead of time, keep them in the fridge until your child leaves for school.

Learn more about safe lunches for kids.

Filling your child’s lunchbox with foods from the 5 food groups can help them stay healthy and do their best at school.

Find out more about free programs to help your kids build habits that support lifelong good health.

Storing fresh food

Storing fresh food correctly can help it last longer, which can save you money and trips to the supermarket. Here’s how long some common foods last.

  • Potatoes, garlic and onions can last several months in a cool, dry, dark cupboard with good air flow. Try to store them separately so they last longer.  Peeled garlic needs to be stored in an airtight container or zip lock bag in the fridge.
  • Bananas can last in the cupboard for 7 days if green or between 2 to 4 if ripe. It's best not to refrigerate bananas. But they can be peeled and stored in the freezer for smoothies or a frozen snack.
  • Avocados will ripen slower if they are stored in the fridge.
  • Pumpkins will last weeks in a cool dry place if they're kept whole. You can store cut pumpkin in the fridge with the seeds removed and wrapped in cling wrap or beeswax wrap to increase shelf life.
  • Tomatoes will ripen at room temperature. It's best to store tomatoes in the fridge once they are ripe.
  • Lemon and limes last about a week at room temperature but can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
  • If you store veggies in the fridge in plastic, put holes in the bag for air and make sure they are dry.
Remember to follow proper food safety measures to make sure you’re storing food safely.

Choose long lasting fresh fruits and vegetables

These fruits and veggies can be stored for weeks in the fridge, so consider including them on your shopping list.


Vegetables

  • Carrots
  • Cut pumpkin
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Zucchini

Fruits

  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Ripe pineapple (best to ripen unripe pineapple at room temperature)
  • Oranges

Try to use up fresh ingredients with a shorter shelf life first such as fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products. If you can’t use it, try freezing it. If freezing raw fruits, it is recommended to cook the fruit first before freezing so it is soft when defrosted. Keep your canned and dried foods for when you need them, or to add to healthy recipes.

Canned food

Lots of canned ingredients are not only nutritious but can be stored for a long time. Try to look for salt-reduced varieties. You may already have some of these at home! Some healthy canned food options include:


  • kidney beans, black beans, butter beans, borlotti beans, baked beans
  • chickpeas, lentils
  • oily fish like sardines, mackerel and salmon
  • tuna in spring water
  • canned soup
  • canned tomatoes
  • corn
  • beetroot
  • peas, green beans, and broad beans.

Dried food

Dried goods like grains and pulses are usually affordable, can be stored for a long time and are nutritious. Some good dried food options include:


  • beans
  • lentils
  • split peas
  • couscous
  • buckwheat
  • rice
  • rolled oats
  • dried herbs
  • dried fruit.

Beans, lentils and split peas can be soaked in water overnight in the fridge to reduce cooking time.

Frozen food

Frozen fruit and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh. They can be a great way to eat more of the foods that support good health, while saving on shopping trips. Many are available throughout the year. They may also be more affordable than buying fresh.


You can also freeze fresh fruits, vegetables and meat to help them last longer. Here are some ideas for freezing different types of foods.

 

Fruit

Most fruit will freeze well. To make it easier, chop the fruit into smaller pieces and peel fruits with thick skins (like bananas and mangoes) before freezing. You can freeze pieces on a tray first to avoid the fruit clumping together. Or puree the fruit and put it into ice cube trays. This can be great for feeding young children.


Vegetables

Vegetables that freeze well include:

  • corn, peas, carrots, green beans
  • broccoli and cauliflower
  • root vegetables like potatoes and pumpkin, once cooked.

To help keep their flavour, you could try blanching your vegetables before freezing. Blanching is a cooking method. You place the vegetables into boiling water for a short amount of time (usually a few minutes). Then move your vegetables to a bowl of cool or ice water. This stops them cooking.


Other vegetables that freeze well without blanching include:

  • onion and capsicum (you will need to wash the capsicum, cut in half and remove the seeds and membranes before freezing)
  • greens such as spinach and kale (wash the leaves and dry thoroughly before freezing, blanching before freezing adds to the shelf life).

Meat

  • Minced meat can last 2 to 3 months
  • Steaks can last up to 6 months
  • Chops will last up to 4 months
  • Chicken breast can last between 3 and 6 months
  • Fish, including salmon, will last up to 3 to 4 months

Understanding use by and best before dates 

Food labels are marked with with a use-by date or a best-before date.  

 
A 'use by' date means  the  food must be eaten by that date. After this date foods may be unsafe to eat. 

 
A 'best before' date means the food may lose some of its quality or flavour after this date. It is still safe to eat unless it is damaged or has a bad smell. Some foods, such as eggs, should be eaten close to the best before date.


Some canned foods may not have a best before date. If there are signs of damage like rust, dents or swelling, do not use or taste the food.


Learn more about food storage.

Food for health and wellbeing

Choosing fresh, canned or dried foods from the 5 food groups supports good health and wellbeing. How much you need of each of these foods in a day depends on your age and gender. You can use our food calculator to find out what is best for you.

You can get free support for setting up healthy habits to help with shopping and food preparation. Learn more about programs to help you get and stay healthy.