People putting health at risk with 'dangerous' meat storage in fridges
An AO.com survey recently revealed some worrying statistics about how Brits store their food, and their knowledge of how to keep their kitchens safe and hygienic proved to be lacking. Over 50% were found to be storing their raw meat in a dangerous position in the fridge, providing a higher chance for cross-contamination and putting their households at risk from the likes of campylobacter and E. coli.
A food storage expert has now issued a health warning on the matter, fearing many households are not just using the wrong section of their fridge for their meat but also aren’t keeping the meat hygienically stored on its own. Sarah Heaps explained that raw meat should always be stored on the very bottom shelf of the fridge.
This part of the fridge is the coldest. Additionally, it should be wrapped or placed in a sealed container to avoid any juices with potentially harmful bacteria from seeping out and contaminating the rest of the food in your fridge.
The survey results showed nearly a quarter of Brits use the middle shelf to store their raw meat, which the expert warned: “heightens the risk of meat juices contaminating the items stored on the shelf below”. 7% used the top shelf, exacerbating this risk, while 12% used the drawers designed for fruit and vegetable storage.
Sarah highlighted the red flags in all of these techniques: “It's alarming to see that so many people are unknowingly putting themselves at risk of food-borne illnesses by improperly storing raw meat in their fridges. The bottom shelf of the fridge is the only place for raw meat, as it prevents harmful bacteria from contaminating other foods. Be sure to never store it anywhere else.”