Preventing food spoilage: Understanding shelf life and storage guidelines for summer

Keep your food fresh even on the hottest days

The whole point of a refrigerator is to keep the food stored fresh for as long as possible. But the refrigerator for sure has limits as to how long it can keep the food fresh. But to prevent your food from spoiling and keeping it fresh you need to understand a few things, you need to maintain your refrigerator which prolongs your food’s life. 

There are a variety of food items that we store in the fridge daily which needs different types of care in the fridge, you cannot store everything in one compartment. 

Having the right type of refrigerator

Having the right refrigerator for your needs is the first thing you need to start with, there are multiple types of refrigerators so select the one that fits in your kitchen and can store your goods. There are various types of refrigerators,

1. Single door refrigerator
2. Double door refrigerator
3. Triple door refrigerator
4. Mini Refrigerator 
5. Convertible refrigerator 
6. Bottom freezer refrigerator 
7. French door refrigerator 

Select a refrigerator that is ideal for your lifestyle which has enough storage, extra features, cost-efficiency, etc. You can explore different Whirlpool fridge, Samsung fridge, and other brand models to check special features like anti-odur that can come in handy. 

What are shelf life and storage guidelines for preventing food spoilage?

Analyse the given point, 

• Try to keep your refrigerator temperature at 40°C and your freezer at 0°F (-18°C). 
• Buy food before expiration dates and remove the food that has almost gone wrong or is on the verge of spoiling, or else it will spoil another food item in the refrigerator. 
• Store the food item wherever the place is assigned for it, eggs, ice, dairy products, meat, etc. 
• Make sure to clean your refrigerator often, separate items properly and chill them at the right temperature for it to last longer.
• Temperature for specific food:
  • Dairy products: 34ºF -38ºF
  • Meat: 33ºF- 36ºF
  • Eggs: 33ºF – 37ºF
  • Fruits and vegetables: 35ºF – 40ºF 
• Store cooked food and raw food separately, if you store raw vegetables directly without cleaning it can contaminate your cooked food or other items in the refrigerator 
• Always make sure to have good quality containers to store food which will keep the things intact inside. Put proper lids on containers or else you will have a smelly refrigerator. 
• Store the raw vegetables in bags if possible so they will stay fresh longer and if by any chance other vegetables are contaminated, you can save the other vegetables. 
• Always make sure to remove food that is spoiled on time and clean the fridge before causing damage to other items. 

How often do I clean my refrigerator?

• Daily: Wipe edges and check if anything has spoiled 
• Weekly: Check expiry dates of food before it goes bad
• Monthly: Clean the entire fridge by removing everything.

Concluding, store food items at the place where they’re assigned to be stored so they will last long. Check constantly if anything is spoiled and clean your refrigerator regularly.