We worry about tidying up the rooms in the house, the closets, the shelves … but what about the fridge? Do we know how to organize it? It is more important than we think. Keep food well arranged in the refrigerator helps prevent food poisoning, among other aspects, warn experts from the Spanish Federation of Food and Beverage Industries (FIAB). This is because saved correctly and in the appropriate packaging we ensure that the nutritional properties of the food are preserved better and with a higher quality. And at the same time it is a way to prevent food waste.
Structure of the fridge
These are the FIAB’s recommendations:
On top From the fridge you should put already cooked food, for example some stew that you have prepared to eat the next day or canned food that is left over.
In the central part, dairy products, yogurts, cheeses …, sausages and eggs.
On the bottom, raw meat and fish, in general perishable products, and those foods that you want to defrost.
In the drawers, Fruits and vegetables.
At the door, drinks of all kinds, including milk, jams, sauces or butters, mainly.
In general, it is recommended that put first those foods that you are going to consume before. And also, to store in the fridge it is better to use closed containers, they advise from the Aecosan. In fact, once we open a product, if we have any excess, the ideal is to store it in the refrigerator in a glass lunch box or jar with a hermetic lid.
It is also important to remember that the ideal temperature for the refrigerator should be between 0 and 5ºC, and that of the freezer must be -18ºC.
Freezer structure
The freezer should always be clean, like the fridge, and if possible no frost. Today’s refrigerators have technology that prevents it, but if you have an old refrigerator, you should defrost it every so often to remove this layer of ice.
It is recommended that the freezer be in a coherent order and that packages with food keep a distance. Storing them in portions helps them to freeze earlier, and it is advisable to label them with the date of freezing to keep track.
We must avoid saturating the freezer so that it works properly and cools it evenly. Therefore also, you have to try to do not introduce hot food since they destabilize the temperature of the rest of the products that are inside.
