We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Experts from KJ Refrigeration revealed that over 70 percent of food is wasted by UK households but “there are certain things we can do at home to keep our food fresher and avoid throwing food away before having a chance to eat it”.
The food experts started by saying that fridge optimisation is “a priority to save money and our environment from unused food”.
They urged people to consider the door shelves in the fridge: “Unless stated otherwise, you should never keep dairy in the fridge door storage units!”
This is a common area to store milk, cheese and eggs, “but you’re actually accelerating the perishing process,” the expert revealed.
Instead, dairy should be kept at the back of the fridge, “where it’s extra cold to get a few more days out of milk and a week or so from cheese and eggs”.
The fridge door is the perfect place to keep condiments for longevity, such as opened dressings, ketchup and other sauces.
According to the experts, the top shelf “should always be for ready-to-eat foods such as dips, ready meals and pre-prepared food”.
“Never store raw meat or fish on the top shelf as these foods can start to drip as time goes by and can contaminate other food in the fridge, causing bacteria growth like salmonella and E.coli,” they warned.
Meat should always be wrapped separately and stored on the bottom shelf where it’s closest to the freezer.
The food experts explained that if best-before dates have been removed from meat products, people should be aware of a change in scent.
“A distinct, pungent smell will be present if your meat and fish have started to rot.
“The meat texture will have changed too, making it look and feel slimy to touch, which points to the decomposition of the flesh,” they explained.
Fruits such as berries, bananas, melons and oranges should be kept out of the fridge as this “will make them rot faster and impact taste quality”.
However, chopped fruit should be left on the top shelf with the other ready-to-eat food.
Most fridges have a salad drawer at the bottom to keep veg like lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes.
The experts explained the drawer at the bottom of the fridge is fine for most salad veggies.
Cucumbers, however, are an exception and should be kept on the middle shelf as “they’re prone to frostbite in colder temperatures turning them mushy and inedible”.
Chris Beasley, from home insurance company Smart Cover, added it is important to avoid overfilling your fridge: “Stacking stuff on top of each other will prevent air circulating between your goods and cold air getting everywhere that it needs to. This means your fridge has to work harder and your food will go off quicker.”
He said: “It may sound obvious but being organised when it comes to unloading your shopping is really effective.
“Being organised means you know where to find things and are less likely to have food that you’ve forgotten about languishing at the back of your fridge.
“This means less food waste which is good for your pocket because you’re not buying things you already have.”
Source: Read Full Article