CART Food Safety: Fridge Storage & Maintenance
Food Safety: Fridge Storage & Maintenance
Running a food business might seem simple from the surface, but there are so many aspects to consider to ensure you comply with Food Standards. A big part of this is kitchen equipment. Fridges are essential for keeping food safe and reducing the risk of cross-contamination, but do you know how to organise one properly?
In this article, our health and safety experts offer organisational advice and tips on maintaining your fridge to ensure compliance with current food safety regulations and temperature guidelines.
So, how should you organise your fridge? Organise your fridge (from top to bottom) with this handy guide:
- Ready To Eat (dairy, baked goods, cooked meat and fish)
- Washed (washed fruit and vegetables)
- Unwashed (unwashed vegetables)
- Raw (meat, fish, and other ‘raw’ items like eggs)
Learn more about maintaining the correct temperature, the four-hour rule, and your free fridge organisation chart.
As fridges pile up, items are more likely to spill over and contaminate ready-to-eat items. This is why a tier system is implemented. As a rule of thumb, follow this order (from top to bottom) to avoid cross-contamination when organising your fridge:
- Ready To Eat
- Washed
- Unwashed
- Raw
You should also use coloured knives and chopping boards in your kitchen to reduce the spread of bacteria. To find out more, read one of our comprehensive HSE guides - ‘Chopping Board Colours: Your Complete Guide’
As a practical guide, we’ve added the most common food groups to an easy fridge organisation chart below:
| Food Group | Area Of Fridge |
|---|---|
| Baked Goods |
Ready-to-eat foods such as bread, cake, and other bakery items should be stored at the top of your fridge. If possible, keep these away from food with a pungent odour, as they are prone to absorbing smells. |
| Dairy | Items like milk, cheese, and cream are ideally placed on the top shelf, as they are generally safe to consume naturally. In this case, this does not include raw eggs. |
| Cooked Meat & Fish | Raw items that are now cooked are classified as ‘ready-to-eat’ foods, like baked goods and dairy products. Because of this, they should now move to the top of the fridge. |
| Fruits & Vegetables (Washed) | Washed vegetables are technically ‘ready to eat’; however, they should go on the next available shelf as a ‘washed’ item. |
| Fruits & Vegetables (Unwashed) | Unwashed vegetables may contain harmful bacteria. To reduce the risk of contamination, unwashed vegetables should go above the raw items, but below the washed produce. |
| Raw Fish | Raw fish (and meat) contain harmful bacteria that are usually killed during the cooking process. However, the bacteria could cause illness if they contaminate other food items. They are also prone to dripping on other items if not stored properly. Due to these reasons, you should keep raw items covered and stored at the bottom of the fridge. |
| Raw Meat | Raw meat and fish are treated the same in this context; therefore, they should be covered and at the bottom of the refrigerator. Some kitchen spaces may have a dedicated fridge for raw items. |
| Other Raw Items | Meat and fish aren’t the only ingredients considered ‘raw’ ingredients. You should also keep items like eggs and unpasteurised milk at the bottom of the fridge. |
Additional Fridge Tips
- Don’t overfill your fridge - by leaving space for air to circulate, you help to maintain a consistent temperature. Not overfilling your fridge also helps it retain safe temperatures.
- Segregation is just as important as the height of an item in the refrigerator - different items, such as beef and salmon, should still not touch each other even if they are on the same shelf.
- Although eggs are considered part of the dairy family, they must be classed as ‘raw’ food in a fridge.
- You can order your food from top down by the temperature at which you are cooking that food. Things that need a high cooking temperature are on the bottom, as this temperature will kill off pathogens.
To remain safe, your fridge should be maintained at a consistent temperature of 3-5°c, according to the Food Standards Agency. This is because ‘the danger zone’ (where harmful bacteria grow the quickest) starts at 8°C.
You should periodically check the temperature of your fridge to ensure it remains at a safe temperature. For accuracy, use a fridge thermometer.
If you adjust the temperature of your fridge, the change may take up to a day to take effect.
What is the Difference Between a Commercial & Domestic Fridge?
Both residential and commercial fridges are designed to keep items at a safe temperature to prevent spoilage; however, there are many differences to consider when choosing which is best for your kitchen.
Domestic fridges are designed for home use, so they are typically smaller and more energy-efficient. This is because they don’t have to work as hard to remain at a consistent temperature.
On the other hand, commercial fridges are designed to be opened many times over a few hours. Due to their heavy-duty design, they are more powerful, often fan-assisted, and significantly louder. They also offer much more room than a domestic fridge.
To ensure compliance as a food business, there are several rules that you must follow daily. Find out more in one of our recent blogs - ‘What Are The Basic Food Hygiene Rules?’
Even if your fridge is organised according to guidelines, if it is not cleaned and maintained, it could harbour bacteria or, worse, break!
The smell of a messy fridge can permeate your food products, particularly bakery items, so keeping your fridge spotless is necessary, regardless of the size of your kitchen.
If you’ve spilt an item, such as milk, you should clean the affected area immediately. Additionally, establish a routine cleaning plan to thoroughly clean all your kitchen appliances. We recommend deep cleaning your fridge once a week or every other week.
If you notice anything abnormal about your fridge, please call an engineer immediately. They’ll be able to assess and fix any issues, ensuring that your fridge and the food inside remain at a safe temperature and safe to consume. Overworking your fridge to reach cool temperatures is also a fire hazard.
Whether you work in a cafe, restaurant, food truck, or own your own catering business, appropriate food hygiene training is essential. We offer a comprehensive Online Level 2 Food Hygiene Course. The course covers everything you need to know, including:
- Personal and kitchen hygiene.
- Risk assessment and control measures.
- Temperature control and its importance.
- Cross-contamination risks.
- Food Hazards and How to Avoid Them.
For just a few hours of your time, you could get qualified with a nationally recognised certificate.
If you have any questions or concerns about the online Food Hygiene course or any other HSEDocs online training queries, don't hesitate to get in touch with our team.
What is the 4-Hour Rule in Food?
The 4-hour rule in food safety states that food displayed or kept at room temperature can be returned to the fridge and used if it has been stored for no more than 4 hours. Otherwise, it should be thrown away.
There are expectations for this rule. Foods that are prone to bacterial growth, such as rice, shouldn’t sit out for long. This also applies if you’re leaving food out on a particularly warm day- you should shorten the rule to two hours.
How Long Can Meat Stay in the Refrigerator After Thawing?
Whilst meat is thawing, it remains safe. However, once your meat has thawed, it cannot be kept in the fridge for longer than three days (for whole joints, steaks, etc.) or one to two days (for ground meat or fish). Remember, once your meat has defrosted, it should not be refrozen under any circumstances!
