Consumer

This frightful fridge shows some of the most common mistakes people make in their fridges – it’s neither cool nor clean, and breaks all the rules when it comes to what goes where.

It is very important that germs do not spread from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods. The information below contains a few cool rules on keeping your fridge a safe place to store your food.

Temperature: Some cool rules

Keeping food correctly chilled in the fridge slows down the growth of bacteria. At temperatures between 5°C and 63°C (‘the danger zone’), bacteria on food can grow to a point where they can make you ill.

Here are some cool rules to keep foods safe:

• Keep the fridge at 5°C or below.
  
• Place a mercury-free fridge thermometer on the bottom shelf above the salad drawer, and check the temperature once a week, ideally first thing in the morning.
  
• The numbers on the fridge thermostat dial do not necessarily show the temperature reading, so check the user handbook and use a thermometer to check the temperature.
  
• Keep the fridge door closed tightly, as the temperature will rise if the door is left open.
  
• Don’t overpack the fridge, as this can stop cool air from circulating freely and the
  fridge may not keep the foods properly chilled.
  
• Don’t put hot food in the fridge as this can raise the fridge temperature.

Storage shelf life

It is very important to prevent germs from raw foods spreading to ready-to-eat foods.

• Store ready-to-eat foods such as cheese, yoghurt, cooked meats and leftovers
  on the middle and top shelves.
  
• Put raw meat, fish and poultry in sealed containers on the bottom shelf so they don't touch each other or drip onto other foods.
  
• Store leftovers in the fridge within two hours of cooking and eat them within three days.
  
• Don’t eat food after its ‘use by’ date because it might not be safe.

The meaning of cleaning

Clean the fridge regularly, especially the fridge handle, shelves and storage compartments.

• Wash all surfaces thoroughly with warm, soapy water, then rinse them clean.
  
• Dry surfaces thoroughly with a clean towel or kitchen roll.
  
• Wipe up spills straightaway.
  
• Never use cleaning products that may leave a taste in food or damage the fridge.
  
• At least once a week, check for foods that have passed the ‘use by’ date,
  and throw them out.

Check out our fridge hygiene leaflet and fridge storage magnet for more information on how to keep your fridge safe

Order your own fridge leaflet and magnet by calling our helpline:

ROI - 1850 404 567

NI - 0800 0851683

For a full list of safefood's leaflet why not visit our publications page