Food Safety

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Food Safety FAQ

Is foodborne illness a big problem in the U.S.?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick from foodborne diseases each year. While this is a significant public health burden, it's largely preventable. Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website for more information.

How does FreshDirect help prevent foodborne illnesses?

FreshDirect has a dedicated Food Safety and Quality Assurance department to ensure the food we sell is safe for our customers. Visit our About Our Facilities page for more information.

What is the appropriate cooking temperature for the products I ordered?

Taking the proper steps in food handling, cooking and storage are essential to prevent foodborne illnesses. Please visit our Handling Food Safely page and our Cooking & Storage page for more information on meat, seafood and dairy products.

What is the shelf life for FreshDirect's fruit and vegetables?

Our Fruit and Vegetable Storage Guides have all the information you need to keep your produce fresh for as long as possible.

What if I have an allergic reaction to a product?

FreshDirect strictly follows New York State laws and industry best practices for food safety. Our manufactured and packaged products are labeled in accordance with the Food Allergen Labeling Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), which requires that labels of food products containing the eight major allergens be declared clearly and in plain English. If you have a known food allergy, please check the product label. For more information, visit our Food Allergies page.

There's an insect in my organic produce. What gives?

Since our organic produce is not processed and always arrives fresh, there are rare occasions when an insect, originating from the farm, may be present. We understand that it is unpleasant to observe insects in organic produce and our quality assurance group works diligently with our suppliers to avoid these rare occasions.

Is there a chance I'll find a small piece of bone in the meat or seafood I ordered?

During our meat preparation, we remove bone and cartilage using a mechanical extractor. However, there is a rare instance when very small pieces of bone fragments may pass through into your meat. We also have a skilled and experienced team of fish handlers for our fish filleting process. While we try our best to ensure all bones are removed from our fish fillets, there are rare instances where we may miss a bone or pin bones. Our quality assurance group is always committed to providing products of high and consistent quality and avoiding these rare occasions.

Should I be worried if the rotisserie chicken I ordered appears undercooked?

While it may be unexpected to see internal red discoloration of your fully cooked bone-in chicken, this is not an indication that the product is undercooked or unsafe. Our cooked poultry products are cooked according to FDA food safety requirements and are brought to temperatures that exceed the minimum cooking temperature. Depending on the age of the chicken, the bones may be relatively soft and porous. When the chicken heats up during the cooking process, marrow can and often seeps through the soft bone into the surrounding muscle, resulting in the appearance of "bloody" or red bone and meat.

Is it safe to cook the seafood I ordered if a worm is present?

We know it's unpleasant to see a worm in your seafood, but this is a natural occurrence and not an indication that the fish is contaminated. All of our freshly prepared fish fillets are individually inspected and we remove any worms observed. In the rare occurrence a worm is present, please follow our seafood cooking instructions to ensure the optimal cooking temperature.

Is it possible the non-pitted olives I ordered will contain a pit?

Olives are produced commercially using large machinery. While this equipment is very effective at removing the pits, there are occasions where a pit or part thereof may be present. Please reference the advisory on the product label.