Chilling Facts Fridge Food Safety

Your fridge works at slowing the growth of harmful food spoilage germs by keeping them cold.

It only takes a few hours of food being at ambient temperature for food spoilage germs to develop and once they start they will multiply rapidly.

Here are a few tips on safe fridge food storage.

• Do not put hot foods straight into the fridge as this will raise the temperature of your fridge and may warm the foods it already contains. Let the hot food cool for up to two hours preferably in a cool place. If the food has not fully cooled at the end of two hours put it in your fridge but turn the temperature of the fridge down 2 degrees C or 3 degrees C (normal fridge operating temperatures are between 0 degrees C and 5 degrees C) until the food is fully chilled.
• Keep the fridge door shut as much as possible.
• If your fridge is full turn the temperature down a little more.
• Food leftovers will not keep for long even in your fridge eat leftovers within two days.
• Keep food out of the fridge for the shortest possible time.
• Remember to keep your food cool on the way home from the supermarket. Take cool boxes for transportation of food from the shops to your fridge.
• Beware of cross contamination of different food stuffs.
• Keep raw and cooked meats wrapped and separate.
• Raw meat is best stored well wrapped in the bottom of the fridge so there is no chance of it touching other foods of juices leaking onto food below.
• Check your fridge temperature on a regular basis and make sure the door seals are not damaged.