Fridges and food safety

Tips for storing food safely to minimise your family's chances of getting food poisoning.

Keep food safe

Food poisoning affects hundreds of thousands of people each year - it's painful and costly. It's not just food businesses who are guilty of causing illness - much of it comes from our own homes.

• Some foods have to be chilled to reduce bacterial growth, so you must check the temperature of your fridge regularly: it should be between 2 degrees Celsius and 5 degrees Celsius. To do this you will need a thermometer - they cost approximately £3 and are available from most large supermarkets or chemist shops.
• Raw meats, burgers and sausages etc are considered to be unsafe until cooked. Therefore you must never store them next to ready-to-eat foods. Wrap all raw meat and store at the bottom of the fridge, so it doesn't drip onto other food. Always wash your hands and equipment after touching raw meat.
• Let hot food cool before putting into the fridge otherwise it'll raise the fridge temperature.
• Don't leave food uncovered: use food grade containers or wrapping. Don't store food in opened tins/cans.
• Check food labelling carefully, for example, many foods have to be consumed within 3 days of opening. Always check use-by dates of food in fridges. Throw away all food past its use-by date.