{"id":127,"date":"2023-07-05T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-05T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/?p=127"},"modified":"2025-11-07T13:19:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T13:19:33","slug":"fridge-shelves-storing-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/fridge-shelves-storing-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Know Which Fridge Shelves You Should Store Your Food On?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Knowing where in the fridge to store different types of food is important to ensure that your food remains safe to eat. Correctly refrigerating food also helps to stop harmful bacteria spreading from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you know which shelf you should store raw meat products on and why? Do you know where in the fridge is best suited for fruit and vegetables? What about ready meals or pastries? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll look at how to store food in a domestic fridge safely and outline which foods should go on which shelves.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n

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How to Store Food in a Fridge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All domestic fridges come fitted with internal shelves, a drawer and storage compartments on the inside of the door, but do you know which foods go where? If foods aren\u2019t stored correctly, you run the risk of cross-contamination between raw or unprepared foods and those that are ready-to-eat. In the worst cases, this can cause food poisoning<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The illustration below gives an example of a full fridge, highlighting the types of foods that you should store on each shelf. Note that the diagram replicates a domestic fridge that you\u2019d find in your kitchen at home, with the bottom shelf being a drawer, so it is not a suitable reference for commercial fridges in shops or restaurants.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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Top Shelf<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the top shelf of your fridge you should store ready-to-eat foods, such as packaged foods, leftovers, cooked meats and prepared salads. These should all be covered or kept in sealed containers to prevent contamination. Ready-to-eat foods are stored at the top of the fridge, away from raw foods, so that harmful bacteria cannot transfer from the raw food to the cooked food.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Middle Shelf<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The middle shelf of your fridge is the best place to store dairy products, like cheeses, butter, cream, yoghurts, desserts and eggs. Keep cheeses wrapped or in a container to prevent them from drying out. Store dairy products in the middle of your fridge rather than the doors, as the temperature is cooler and will help to preserve them for longer. If you are interested in learning more about how to store cheese, take a look at our article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Bottom Shelf<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The bottom shelf of the fridge is the coldest part of your fridge, so should be used to store raw meat, poultry and fish in sealed containers. Raw meats should always be stored at the bottom of your fridge to prevent cross-contamination – for example, if any juices (which could contain harmful bacteria) leak from the packaging, they could drip down onto food stored on a lower shelf. Ensure that each item is wrapped or in a sealed container so that it doesn\u2019t come into contact with other foods. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Salad Drawer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The salad drawer, or bottom shelf of your fridge, should be used to store fruit, vegetables and salad vegetables that have been washed prior to storage. Make sure that your fruit, vegetables and salad are wrapped in something, like paper or plastic with air holes, to keep them protected from any contamination. For salads and herbs, try wrapping them in a damp paper towel before storing to prevent them from drying out and keep them fresher for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fridge Door Shelves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The refrigerator door is the warmest part of your fridge, so should be used to store foods that won\u2019t spoil quickly, such as juices, mayonnaise, ketchup, jam and other jars or bottles of condiments or preserved foods<\/a>. These items tend to have a longer shelf-life than other, more perishable foods.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Food Hygiene Tips for Your Fridge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To keep your fridge running at its best and help keep the food stored in it safe, follow our top refrigerator tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n