Fill It Fresher

How often do we just chuck the weekly shop into the fridge and cram in the items wherever there is space?
We’re all busy, so we’d guess most of the time. Did you know that there is actually a way to stack your food so that there is less risk of contamination and you can keep your food fresher for longer?

It doesn’t have to take lots of time, but it could save you food wastage and a potential bout of food poisoning.
We’ve put together a handy little infographic to show you how to stack your food correctly.

UPPER SHELVES
Foods that don’t need cooking, such as deli meats and leftovers. Always keep in sealed containers.

LOWER/MIDDLE SHELVES
Dairy such as milks, cheeses, yogurt and butter.

BOTTOM SHELF
This is the coldest part of your fridge, and where wrapped raw meat and fish should be kept. Placing raw food on the bottom shelf also minimises the risk of cross-contamination.

DRAWERS
Vegetables, salads and fruit should be stored in their original packaging in the salad drawer where they will be enclosed. This is also a good place to store herbs, as they can’t get frozen to the back of the fridge.

DOOR SHELVES
This is the warmest area of the fridge and most susceptible to temperature fluctuations. Store foods that have natural preservatives here, such as condiments, jams and juice.

Other top fridge storage tips: 

1. As much as possible, keep raw and cooked foods separate from each other – place cooked and ready-to-eat items on the top shelf, always higher than the raw food, to avoid the chance of the raw foods dripping or falling on to cooked food and contaminating it.

2. Clean your fridge regularly, getting into awkward corners with an old toothbrush.

3. Thaw your fridge regularly to avoid a build up of ice.

4. Be careful to keep fresh foods, such as salads and herbs, away from the back of the fridge and do not let them touch it – the temperature at the very back is colder and these delicate foods could freeze and go off.

5. Butter and soft cheeses don’t need to be in the coldest part of the fridge – so while we recommend dairy on the middle shelf, the door shelves for softer dairy is okay.

6. Eggs are at their best when the temperature is most consistent – so if you do keep them in the fridge, keep them on the middle shelf.

7. Keep certain fruit and veg items out of the fridge, as ‘gas releasers’ such as avocados, bananas, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and tomatoes can make some veggies spoil prematurely.

For more Montpellier Recommendations, head to Twitter and search for the hashtag #MontpellierRecommends.
*These are only recommendations and not official guidance. Please refer to the manufacturers manual for your specific make and model to use correctly and safely. We are not held responsible for damage caused. Refer to your manual.