Ask Dr. H: Frozen food safe forever

Question:

How long can I keep foods in my freezer before they go bad?

Answer:

The most important factor is the temperature of your freezer. The USDA recommends that freezers remain at a chilly zero degrees Fahrenheit. I suggest that you purchase a freezer thermometer to be sure that your freezer setting is cold enough and that there aren't wide temperature fluctuations.

Assuming that the temperature remains at zero, food will remain safe indefinitely. Bacteria won't grow at zero, so you're not going to get food poisoning.

Food quality does suffer from prolonged freezing, however. Most noticeable is freezer burn. Those gray-brown leathery spots occur when air reaches and dries out the surface of the food. Food with freezer burn is safe to eat, although it neither looks nor tastes good, leading most people to cut away the affected part or discard the whole thing. Sealing food well to avoid air pockets or air entry cuts down on freezer burn.

Since safety is not an issue at zero degrees, the following USDA guidelines refer to how long certain foods can be kept in the freezer before losing taste, flavor, aroma, juiciness, consistency and color: ice cream, see expiration date on package; ground beef, three to four months; steaks and roasts, six to 12 months; lean fish (e.g., cod or halibut), up to 6 months; oily fish (e.g., salmon), two to three months; whole chicken, 12 months; chicken parts, nine months; bacon, one month; milk, one month.

Cheese may be frozen, but its taste and texture will change quickly. Avoid freezing egg, tuna, chicken or macaroni salad. Certain vegetables, such as mushrooms, don't freeze well (store-bought frozen veggies should be stamped with an expiration date).

For information, call the U.S. Food and Drug Administration food safety hotline (1-888-723-3366) between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., or go to

» READ MORE: www.foodsafety.gov

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When in doubt, throw it out.