Page 54 - FoodFocusThailand No.162 September 2019

STRONG QC &
STRONG QC & QAQA

Keep Food Safe APP

by Spoiler Alert! SPOILAGE

Signs of food spoilage may include an appearance different
from the food in its fresh form, such as a change in color,
a change in texture, an unpleasant odor, or an undesirable
taste. Various factors cause food spoilage, making items
unsuitable for consumption. Light, oxygen, heat, humidity,
temperature, and spoilage bacteria can all affect both safety
and quality of perishable foods. ALERT

When subject to food spoilage factors, foods will gradually deteriorate.
Protecting foods from spoilage is essential in order to reduce food waste and
ensure safety for consumers. Spoilage of food is not just an issue of quality;
it is also a matter of food safety. USDA recommends following the FOUR
steps to Food Safety (Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill) to prevent food
spoilage and reduce your risk of foodborne illness.

Preventing Food Waste
Every year, billions of pounds of good food go to waste in the U.S. because storage date as well as tap heart icon to add food items to
home cooks are not sure of the quality or safety of items. USDA estimates a favorites list. For food safety, users will receive information
that 21% of the available food in the U.S. goes uneaten at the consumer on food safety recalls. The application is available to search
level. In total, 36 pounds of food per person is wasted each month at the retail food and beverages in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
and consumer levels. By reducing food waste through buying appropriate Don’t see an item listed? Although the FoodKeeper has
quantities, storing foods properly, cooking what is needed and composting, more than 650 food and beverage items, there is an “Add
consumers can save money and reduce the amount of food going to landfills. Item” feature that allows users to submit a suggestion for
items that may not already be in the app. The submitted
Learn Appropriate Storage Methods with the Application suggestions are then reviewed and researched for future
The FoodKeeper are guidelines not hard-and-fast rules. Depending on nature updates of the app.
of the food and the actual storage temperatures, some foods may deteriorate
more quickly while others may longer than the times suggested. The
application will help you maximize the freshness and quality of items by
showing you the appropriate storage methods. By doing so you will be able
to keep items fresh longer than if they were not stored properly. It was
developed by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, with Cornell
University and the Food Marketing Institute. It is also available online and as
a mobile application for Android and Apple devices.
With the app, users can browse through food categories to find information
about foods. Then users will get detailed information on how to store, pack, เอกสารอ้างอิง/Reference
cook and freeze your food (Fig. 1). The other wat is to search food items by www.foodsafety.gov/blog/2016/02/what-is-food-spoilage.html
www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/foodkeeper-app
using broad search terms in order to obtain more possible results. For example, www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/10/04/usda-updates-foodkeeper-
typing a keyword like “apple”. Add products to their device’s calendar and app-include-new-food-items
receive notifications when they are nearing the end of their recommended

54 FOOD FOCUS THAILAND SEP 2019