Knowing where in the fridge to store different types of food is important to ensure that your food remains safe to eat. Correctly refrigerating food also helps to stop harmful bacteria spreading from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods.

Different areas of the fridge are better suited to storing different products, and can help minimise the risk of cross contamination and food spoilage.

Here, the team at food hygiene training experts High Speed Training share some top tips on how to correctly organise your fridge.

Dr Richard Anderson, Head Of Learning And Development At High Speed Training, Said: “Most domestic fridges come fitted with internal shelves, a drawer, and storage compartments. If foods aren’t stored correctly, you run the risk of cross-contamination between raw or unprepared foods and those that are ready-to-eat, and also from allergens. This could lead to serious safety concerns.”

Dr Anderson said: “The top shelf of your fridge should be used for ready-to-eat foods, such as packaged foods, leftovers, cooked meats and prepared salads. These should all be covered or kept in sealed containers to prevent contamination. Ready-to-eat foods are stored at the top of the fridge, away from raw foods, so that harmful bacteria cannot transfer from the raw food to the cooked food.”

The middle shelf of your fridge is the best place to store dairy products, like cheeses, butter, cream, yoghurts, desserts and eggs. Keep cheeses wrapped or in a container to prevent them from drying out. Store dairy products in the middle of your fridge rather than the doors, as the temperature is cooler and will help to preserve them for longer.

The bottom shelf of the fridge is the coldest part of your fridge, so should be used to store raw meat, poultry and fish in sealed containers. Raw meats should always be stored at the bottom of your fridge to prevent cross-contamination – for example, if any juices leak from the packaging, they could drip down onto food stored on a lower shelf.

Dr Anderson said: “The salad drawer, or bottom shelf of your fridge, should be used to store fruit, vegetables and salad vegetables that have been washed prior to storage. Make sure that your fruit, vegetables and salad are wrapped in something, like paper or plastic with air holes, to keep them protected from any contamination.

“For salads and herbs, try wrapping them in a damp paper towel before storing to prevent them from drying out and keep them fresher for longer.”

The refrigerator door is the warmest part of your fridge, so should be used to store foods that won’t spoil quickly, such as juices, mayonnaise, ketchup, jam and other jars or bottles of condiments or preserved foods. These items tend to have a longer shelf-life than other, more perishable foods.

Dr Anderson continued: “It’s important to ensure that your fridge is never overloaded, as you are in danger of blocking the cooling unit that will chill your food or the door may not close properly. Air needs to be able to circulate around the food in order to chill it effectively.

“Also, newly bought food should always be placed behind the food that’s already in the fridge. This helps ensure you eat foods before they go out of date, reducing food waste.”

For more information, visit highspeedtraining.co.uk.