With Meat, Safe Handling is Important

Follow this simple four-step process to prevent foodborne illness in your kitchen and keep your family safe:

1. Chill
   Cold temperatures reduce the growth of bacteria. Shop the meat department last, and refrigerate or freeze meat within two hours of purchase. Always defrost and marinate meat in the refrigerator, not on the counter!
   
   
2. Separate
   Never let raw meat touch ready-to-eat foods. Keep raw meat separate from other foods in your shopping cart; store it on the bottom shelf of your fridge to keep accidental leaks from contaminating other food. Use separate plates, utensils and cutting boards when preparing food at home.
   
   
3. Clean
   Wash hands for at least 20 seconds in hot, soapy water to prevent the spread of bacteria after touching raw meat. Also remember to wash anything that has touched the raw meat, including cutting boards, counters and utensils, in hot, soapy water.
   
   
4. Cook
   Always cook your meat to the recommended internal temperature (160° F for steaks and roasts). Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness without cutting into the meat. Promptly refrigerate leftovers.

At-Home Storage Tips

• Refrigerate or freeze your meat as soon as possible after purchasing.
• Label each package with the date, name of pork cut and weight or number of servings.
• Freeze pork in its original transparent wrap up to two weeks. For longer storage, wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil or place in plastic freezer bags; remove as much air as possible.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly after serving (within two hours after cooking).
  

Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Guidelines
Recommended Storage Times for Maximum Quality

Sterling Silver® Pork	Refrigerator (35°F to 40°F)	Freezer (0°F or colder)
Fresh Pork	2 to 4 days	4 to 6 months
Ground Pork	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Cooked Pork (leftover)	4 to 5 days	2 to 3 months

Proper Freezing Guidelines
Follow these steps to help keep your pork fresh in the freezer:

Use one of these freezer wrap materials: specially-coated freezer paper (place the waxed side against the meat); heavy-duty aluminum foil; heavy-duty polyethylene film; heavy-duty plastic bags. Re-wrap pork in convenient portions: leave roasts whole, place chops in meal-size packages, shape ground pork into patties. Put a double layer of waxed paper between chops and patties. Cover sharp bones with extra paper so the bones do not pierce the wrapping. Wrap the meat tightly, pressing as much air out of the package as possible.

- Courtesy of the National Pork Board


The best way to defrost pork is in the refrigerator in its original wrapping. Follow these guidelines for defrosting pork in the refrigerator:

Cut	Thaw Time
Small Roast	3 to 5 hours
Large Roast	4 to 7 hours
Chop	1” thick = 12 to 14 hours
Ground Pork	Estimate by package thickness

Pork can also be thawed in the microwave. Follow your manufacturer’s guidelines for defrosting meat and cook meat immediately after microwave thawing.

- Courtesy of The National Pork Board