Think inside the box: Making sure mail-order morsels are safe

Towers of treats and other eats are popular mail order gifts. But if they aren't packaged correctly or delivery is delayed, the parcel may include another surprise—bacteria. Perishable food must be handled properly to prevent foodborne illness. So if your steaks or cheesecake arrive at room temperature, don't even take a taste. Most mail order companies have good safety records and will replace your gift or refund the sender. Here are some safety tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

When you're the recipient
If you know someone will be sending you a gift of food, ask him or her to share delivery information. While it's the shipper's responsibility to deliver perishable foods on time, it's the customer's responsibility to have someone at home to receive the package. You should also:

•Open any food item marked "Keep Refrigerated" immediately and check its temperature. The food should arrive frozen or partially frozen with ice crystals still visible or at least refrigerator cold—below 40 degrees F as measured with a food thermometer.
•Even if a product is smoked, cured, vacuum-packed, and/or fully cooked, it's still a perishable product and must be kept cold.
•If perishable food arrives warm—above 40 degrees F as measured with a food thermometer—notify the shipper.
•Do not eat the food. Don't even taste suspect food.

When you're the sender
Alert the recipient ahead of time and set a mutually-agreeable delivery date. Don't have perishable items delivered to an office unless you know it will arrive on a work day and there is refrigerator space available for keeping it cold. And don't forget to:

•Make sure the food is frozen solid or refrigerator cold.
•Use an insulated cooler or a heavy corrugated box packed with a frozen gel-pack, or purchase dry ice for keeping food cold.
•Properly label the package: "Perishable—Keep Refrigerated," on the outside, and provide a complete mailing address and phone number to ensure proper delivery.
•Ship your package by overnight delivery.

How long will it keep?
Some mail-order gifts are more perishable than others. Freeze any food you can't eat within a few days unless, of course, it's fresh fruit, caviar or live lobster. Steaks can be kept in the refrigerator for three to five days but a canned ham can be left there for six to nine months, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service. A proper country ham can be kept at room temperature. Frozen entrees should be cooked according to the instructions on the package—don't use guesswork.

—Mary H.J. Farrell