Chilling Truth

Yes, the refrigerator can actually be a breeding ground for bacteria

Gleaming white and perfectly cool, the kitchen fridge seems a safe haven for your food. But if you believe that, you may be in for a nasty surprise.

A study has revealed that refrigerator salad drawers can contain up to 750 times the level of bacteria considered safe, with potential killers such as E. Coli 0157, salmonella and listeria lurking in our fridges at much higher rates than previously suspected.
We reveal the dangers hiding in your fridge.

Germs can survive cold temperatures

Many people wrongly believe that chilling food kills bacteria. However, all chilling does is slow down the rate of the multiplication of the bacteria.

Listeria bacteria, commonly found in foods such as soft cheese, cold meats, pates and smoked fish, can grow well at a temperature range of -1°C up to 4°C. Listeria poisoning causes flu-like symptoms and even septicaemia or meningitis.

Most people do not keep their fridges at a cold enough temperature. Hence research suggests that everybody should use a fridge thermometer and aim for a constant 4°C. Don’t leave the fridge door open for long, and never put hot food in the fridge, as this will also raise the internal temperature.

Perils of a packed fridge

A basic rule of fridge hygiene is, if you have a full fridge, turn down its thermostat to compensate. Make sure you clean your fridge regularly.
Fridges need cleaning out once a week with very hot water and disinfectant if you wish, with the raw meat compartment being cleaned out every few days — certainly when it becomes smelly.

Never put meat on the top shelf

An example of cross contamination would be raw chicken — which is contaminated with the campylobacter bacteria — being placed on a fridge shelf above some salad. The meat drips on to the salad and while the chicken is later cooked thoroughly, which kills the bacteria, the campylobacter-contaminated salad is eaten raw.

Even if salad is contained in a drawer below, the drips from meat can still get through the nooks and crannies of the shelves.

Campylobacter causes of food poisoning. Even wrapped chicken may not be free from contamination — keep it in a separate box. You must also keep food that is to be eaten raw separate from processed, home-cooked or raw meat. Fish is generally clean from bacteria, but it does spoil quickly.

Beware of raw vegetables

We often overlook the role of vegetables in spreading bacterial infection. E. Coli survives chilling and freezing, and is often found in the soil in which vegetables are grown. The bacteria could therefore cross contaminate from your vegetables to other foods in the fridge.
Always wash soil from vegetables in a bowl of still water (running water can splash germs around the sink area) before placing in a separate storage compartment in the fridge.

Even your rice isn’t safe

Bacillus cereus, a bacteria found in plants grown close to the ground such as rice, cereals and spices, causes food poisoning. It stays dormant during the cooking process, but once it begins to cool it starts to produce toxic spores. Other potential breeding grounds for the bacteria include old or damp cereals and spices.
Chilling will slow down the growth of bacillus cereus, so store cooked rice in the fridge as soon as it has cooled. Uneaten rice should be thrown out after three days in the fridge.

Don’t follow your nose

The processed food industry has made great strides in reducing the rate of some bacteria from its products. However, many of these bacteria were behind the strong smell, or the sliminess which warns us not to eat a food.

So, in some cases, processed food may smell and look fine when it is actually dangerous to eat. Three days is probably the safe cut off point once a processed food has been opened from its packaging. Once the seal has been broken, the use-by date is no longer a reliable indicator of safety.