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Even with proper storage and handling, food can still spoil when kept in the refrigerator.
1. Why does food stored in the fridge also spoil easily?
Even with proper storage and handling, food can still spoil when kept in the refrigerator.
Many consumers believe that food stored in the fridge won't spoil. However, in reality, your food can still spoil even with careful refrigeration. According to Goodhousekeeping, mistakes in using the fridge can lead to the accumulation of harmful bacteria, affecting the quality of products such as spoilage, rot, fermentation... and long-term human health. The magazine also lists some common mistakes such as storing too much food in the fridge. This mistake is faced by many families. Consumer overstocking can prevent air circulation in the fridge, leading to inadequate temperature to maintain food quality. Misplacement of food in the fridge is also a contributing factor to spoilage. Chef Ludwig Maurer (German) shares tips for proper food placement in the fridge, which can triple its shelf life. For instance, eggs should be placed in the middle compartment as it has a more stable temperature. Fish, meat, and leafy greens should be stored at the bottom, while fresh fruits and vegetables should be kept in the top compartment.
Misplacement of food is also one of the reasons why food spoils despite being stored in the refrigerator. Image: Internet
Furthermore, it's worth noting that storing raw food alongside cooked food in the fridge increases the risk of cross-contamination, thereby accelerating food spoilage.
Failing to regularly clean the fridge.
Goodhousekeeping points out that this turns the fridge into a breeding ground for bacteria, contaminating food and causing spoilage, degradation...
Not covering food properly in the fridge.
Leftover foods stored in the fridge without proper covering inadvertently provide opportunities for bacteria to contaminate and cause food to smell. This is also one of the reasons why food stored in the fridge still spoils.
The Food Safety Department, Ministry of Health has outlined how to use and store food safely while preserving its nutritional value.
- Food taken out of the freezer must be used. Refreezing is one of the leading causes of food poisoning.
- Newly added frozen food should be placed inside, while previously purchased items should be placed outside for earlier use. Labeling frozen foods with dates helps prevent them from being left for too long.
- Even in the fridge, food still needs to be stored in tightly sealed containers, not only for the ingredients of the dish but also for quality to prevent food from absorbing odors from other dishes.
Food stored in the fridge can still spoil if not properly stored. Image: Internet
- Some foods like cheese, fish, dried... should be tightly wrapped in foil. Similar precautions should be taken with certain fruits and vegetables prone to odor like papaya, dragon fruit, cabbage, onions...
- Fruits should not be placed too close to each other in the fridge to avoid premature ripening spreading to other fruits.
- The coldest part of the fridge is not the compartment near the freezer. On the contrary, the glass surface next to the vegetable compartment is the coldest. Therefore, it is also a suitable place for easily perishable foods like meat, fish. The top compartment is for foods that only need a 'cool' temperature like yogurt, cakes.
- The bottom drawer of the fridge is specifically for vegetables. Remove the unused green parts of many vegetables such as carrots, celery... before placing them in this compartment. Vegetables should be wrapped, if with permeable cloth soaked in water or plastic paper with tiny holes is the best.
- The top compartment of the fridge door is a 'temporary residence' for foods requiring low temperatures such as eggs, butter, jams. The next compartment below is suitable for spices, coffee provided that they are stored in tightly closed containers, cans...
