Food Safety Fridge And Freezer Temps

At 5 c or colder and at freezing temperatures many bacteria that cause food poisoning and food spoilage either don t grow or their growth may be slowed down.

Food safety fridge and freezer temps.

The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only frozen foods stored continuously at 0 f or below can be kept indefinitely. Wrap tightly foods destined for the freezer. While food safety law doesn t specifically state the required temperature of freezers industry best practice is 18 ºc or lower. This will make room for the items that do need to be chilled for safety reasons such as raw ready to eat and cooked food.

The first rule of food storage in the home is to refrigerate or freeze perishables right away. It s vital to keep your freezer at a cold temperature as it stops bacteria from growing. Never taste food to determine its safety. Where to store food in your fridge different parts of the refrigerator run a little.

It can occur when food is not securely wrapped in air tight packaging and. Check both fridge and freezer periodically with a refrigerator freezer thermometer. The perfect temperature range for a freezer is at or slightly below 0 f and never more than 2 f. Adjust the freezer settings as necessary to get the temperature in a safe range after making adjustments to either the freezer or refrigerator check the thermometer s temperature readout after five hours repeating the adjustment process until the reading is in the ideal range.

It also ensures that every part of the fridge remains at an acceptable temperature. Follow the guidelines below for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer. It appears as grayish brown leathery spots on frozen food. A refrigerator thermometer may also be used to measure the freezer temperature which should be 0 f or 18 c.

Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 f or below however its quality may suffer. The refrigerator temperature should be 40 fahrenheit and the freezer should be 0 f. A freezer acts as a pause button food in a freezer won t deteriorate and most bacteria cannot grow in it. If your fridge is looking full take out items that don t need to be chilled such as beer.

A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours 24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed. In addition to keeping the temperature in your fridge at 40 f you can take additional steps to make sure your refrigerated foods stay as safe as. The short time limits for home refrigerated foods will help keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat.