Transporting Meat

Do I need to worry about how long my meat is in the car?

When running errands, do your grocery shopping right before you plan to go home to reduce the amount of time your perishable groceries will be without refrigeration.

Avoid leaving refrigerated or frozen foods in warm places such as the trunk of a car during transport.

Remember to put the meat, seafood and poultry into the refrigerator or freezer immediately after you arrive home (See Refrigerator Storage of Meats, Refrigerator Storage of Poultry, and Refrigerator Storage of Fish and Seafood).

During the summer, when the time from the store to your home refrigerator is more than 1 hour or when the temperature is 90°F or above, make sure to have an ice-packed insulated cooler for transporting meat. Your store may also have dry ice available.