Do you know what temperature your fridge is supposed to be?
Many people don’t, and it could be hazardous to their health.
A new study has revealed that 71% of household fridges are running at above the recommended maximum temperature of 5C.
Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines recommend that your fridge should operate between 0C to 5C.
The researchers, from the ZERO2FIVE Food and Drink Research Unit at Cardiff Metropolitan University, also found that 37% of household fridges in the study were operating at around 10C or higher.
Their findings coincide with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Food Safety Day, which takes place on June 7 every year.
One of the WHO’s five keys to food safety is to ‘keep food at safe temperatures’, and having your fridge operating at the right temperature is important to reach this goal.
Fridges at a higher temperature could speed up the growth rate of foodborne bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause severe food poisoning illnesses such as listeriosis.
During the height of the cost of living crisis, officials warned people not to turn up the temperature on their fridge to save money on energy bills, with one Cornwall health official saying ‘won’t save you money and it could leave you with a nasty stomach bug’.
Food poisoning can last from a couple of hours to a few days. Symptoms can include severe stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and chills.
The researchers distributed over 1,000 fridge thermometers to members of the public during events in Wales. The participants were told to upload a picture of their fridge thermometer and record its operating temperature using an online tool.
Leftovers
Leftovers are good for your pocket and the environment, but should generally be refrigerated within two hours of being cooked.
From a total of 201 participants, 90% responded saying they did not own a refrigerator thermometer before taking part in the study.
They found that only 74 people recorded their fridge temperature being 5C or lower. Of the participants who recorded fridge temperatures above 5C, 80% were concerned about the potential for food poisoning bacteria growth, and intended to change their fridge temperature.
Dr Ellen Evans, from the ZERO2FIVE Food and Drink Research Unit, said: ‘This study has uncovered concerning findings in relation to household fridge temperatures.
‘To ensure people are using their fridge at the right temperature and storing food safely, we’d recommend everyone uses a fridge thermometer, which is not expensive to buy, and then adjust their fridge controls to ensure it is operating at 5C or below.
‘Our findings also demonstrate that citizen science research can be helpful for capturing food safety data from the public, communicating key food safety messages, and promoting better food safety practices.’
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