Not all refrigerator temperature gauges are accurate.
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Keeping your food refrigerated helps preserve it for longer. ANDThe refrigerator doesn’t stop, but it does slow bacterial growth. Keeping food at a suitable temperature is very important as one of the measures to avoid food poisoning.
Sometimes, the refrigerator may not be set to the required temperatureThat is, it is not cooling enough to preserve your food properly and prevent food from spoiling quickly.
You should also keep in mind that not all refrigerator temperature gauges are accurate. It may be dialing in a temperature that it is not really cooling at.
For refrigerators whose temperatures are set on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 is the warmest option; the smaller the number, the colder.
You should check the temperature of your refrigerator and adjust it if necessary.
Proper refrigerator temperature
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that the refrigerator should be kept at 40 ° F or below. The ideal freezer temperature is below 0 ° F.
Try to keep the refrigerator between 35 ° and 38 ° F, above this the temperatures may be too high.
You can measure the temperature of the refrigerator with a separate thermometer andconomic for household appliances. Put the thermometer in your refrigerator and leave it for 20 minutes. You can buy the thermometer at online stores or at home supply stores.
The CDC explains that bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40 ° F and 140 ° F. You should never leave perishable food out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or within 1 hour if the outside temperature is above 90 ° F.
Other food safety recommendations
After cooking the food, you can divide the hot food into several clean, shallow containers to help them cool faster and refrigerate them. It doesn’t matter if they don’t cool completely, you should refrigerate them.
Store raw meat on the bottom shelf away from fresh produce and ready-to-eat foods. If you won’t be consuming it in a few days, freeze it. Fresh chunked chicken or turkey will keep refrigerated for 1 to 2 days and frozen is optimal for 9 months.
Check Food Safety for a complete list of time limits for refrigerated foods to avoid spoiling or dangerous consumption.
Throw out perishable foods that haven’t been refrigerated for more than 2 hours.
Thaw or marinate food in the refrigerator.
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