Food in the fridge can become contaminated and dangerous if it isn’t stored correctly. Do your employees know how to stock the fridge to keep food safe?
Use these training questions to test their knowledge and help them to stock the fridge like a pro.
- Where should ready-to-eat foods be stored in the fridge?
Always store ready-to-eat foods above raw foods, and keep them covered to prevent contamination.
- Does it matter where raw meat is stored in the fridge?
You bet it does. Raw meat should be stored on the bottom levels of the fridge, below all other foods. The arrangement of the meat also matters. Meats with higher cooking temperatures go below meats with lower cooking temperatures. This way, even if juice drips from one raw meat to another, all pathogens will be killed when the meat is cooked. For example, even if juice from raw fish drips onto raw chicken, the pathogens from the fish juice will be killed when the chicken is cooked because chicken has a higher cooking temperature than fish. However, if raw chicken juice drips onto raw fish, it would be dangerous because pathogens from the chicken would survive the cooking temperature of the fish.
- Which food can be stored on the ground?
Trick question. Food should never be stored on the ground. Food on the ground can be contaminated more easily by pests like rodents and insects.
Consider using the following image and these training tips to teach your employees how to keep food in the fridge safe:
- Never store chemicals with food. Chemicals can contaminate food and should be stored in a separate area, clearly labeled in closed containers.
- Ready-to-eat food should be covered and stored above raw foods.
- Raw meat should be stored on the bottom shelf according to cooking temperatures. Meats with higher cooking temperatures go below meats with lower cooking temperatures. This arrangement ensures that even if juice drips from one raw meat to another, all pathogens will be killed when the meat is cooked. To help prevent juice from dripping, all raw meat should be stored in the fridge on trays.
- All food must be stored at least six inches above the ground. Keeping a gap between the floor and food helps prevent contamination from pests or spills. (Bonus: It also makes cleaning the refrigerator much easier).
Happy stocking!
—Suzanna Sandridge
