10 rules for safely storing food in the fridge

The way you store food in the fridge can have a large impact on how long it lasts and whether it is safe to consume. Check out the suggestions below for ensuring that you are storing your food in an optimal way.

The way you organize the food in your fridge can help preserve it for longer and save you money on your energy bill, as well as reducing the risks of cross contamination between different food types.

1. Put items that you use often toward the front of the fridge. This reduces the amount of time the door is held open and so helps keep the fridge cool.
2. Cold air sinks to the bottom of the fridge, so keep the most perishable items – such as raw meat, poultry and fish – on the bottom shelf. A meat drawer is also colder than the rest of the fridge. Store meat and fish in sealable plastic containers to prevent any juices from leaking.
3. Place newly purchased items behind older ones, so that you use the older foods first.
4. If you wash fruit and vegetables before refrigerating, dry the items with some paper towels first.
5. Use your door to store less perishable goods that you want to keep cool – condiments, wine, beer and soft drinks, for example.
6. Store milk, eggs and dairy products on a middle shelf. Don't keep them in the door because the temperature here can fluctuate greatly as the door is opened and closed.
7. Cover glass fridge shelves with a layer of plastic wrap. In case of a spill, just remove and replace the plastic wrap.
8. Keep cooked items on higher shelves than raw ingredients.
9. If you don't have a frost-free fridge, defrost regularly following the manufacturer's guidelines.
10. Observe the "best before" dates on food, but don't rely on them completely. If food looks or smells unusual, throw it away – it's not worth taking any chances with potentially harmful microbes.

With regular maintenance and a bit of care, you can keep your fridge and freezer in good shape and help them last longer.

• Dust and ice are the enemies of fridges and freezers. Be sure to defrost your freezer whenever the ice within gets more than 0.5 centimetres (1/4 inch) thick, and vacuum the heat exchange coils on the back of the machine every six months or so.
• To prevent ice buildup in your freezer, wet a paper towel with vegetable oil and rub it lightly over the inner walls of the freezer. Rub a little on the rubber door seals, too – this will make the door close more tightly.
• Keep your fridge smelling fresh by leaving a bowl of oats in the back of the fridge to absorb odours. Renew it every few days if the smells persist.
• Store food in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer to help keep the food – and your fridge – from becoming tainted with odours.
• If you need to switch the fridge off for a long period, first clean the fridge and remove all the food, then leave it with the door slightly ajar so that air can circulate. Be sure to block the door so that children can't get trapped inside.
• When moving your fridge or freezer from one place to another, switch it off for at least 12 hours before the move to give the gases within time to condense. This will minimize the chance of it being damaged in transit.

By following these suggestions for safe food storage, you can reduce the risk of food-borne illness, decrease food wastage and perhaps even save money on your energy bill!