This Is the Most secure Place in Your Fridge to Retailer Hen (Most Individuals Get It Mistaken)

You’ve got simply performed your weekly grocery purchasing. You are placing groceries away, and out of behavior, you place your vegatables and fruits within the crisper drawer, milk and different drinks within the door, and chuck a package deal of rooster thighs onto the center shelf of your fridge.

High-quality and dandy, proper? Nicely, probably not: Storing poultry above produce or different meals (particularly ready-to-eat meals that will not be heated) poses a critical meals security danger, as rooster juices may drip down under, rising the chance of meals poisoning through pathogens reminiscent of Salmonella and Campylobacter. It goes in opposition to all the pieces I used to be taught in culinary faculty whereas finding out for the ServSafe meals security certification: By no means retailer uncooked poultry above uncooked produce or ready-made meals. 

Surprisingly, many dwelling cooks are unaware of this rule. Once I go to family and friends, I nearly at all times see a package deal or two of uncooked rooster sitting in the course of their fridge, hanging out above berries they plan to stir into their yogurt or oatmeal. In response to ServSafe tips, the most secure option to retailer meals in your fridge is to arrange it on cabinets primarily based on the temperature the meals must be held to be secure for consumption.

Primarily based on Servsafe guidelines, your fridge ought to be organized from high to backside as follows: Ready meals, reminiscent of potato salad, cooked greens, or leftovers, ought to be positioned on the very high; then uncooked seafood, entire cuts of beef and pork, floor meat and fish; and at last, entire and floor uncooked poultry. This storage technique prevents cross-contamination, since any leaks from the uncooked meals above will solely fall onto meals that should be cooked to larger, bacteria-killing temperatures. Briefly, the upper the temperature a meals should be cooked to for security, the decrease it ought to be saved.

ServSafe’s suggestion does not actually account for recent produce. That is probably as a result of a restaurant normally has a separate part of the walk-in fridge or a completely completely different fridge devoted to provide. As a result of that is not an possibility for many dwelling cooks, I like to recommend conserving produce not within the crisper drawer—which is commonly beneficial—however subsequent to the cooked meals above any uncooked poultry or meat. I’ve three crisper drawers: two subsequent to 1 one other, and one other instantly on high. I maintain produce within the high drawer, cheeses, cured meats, and eggs in one of many decrease drawers, and reserve one other one of many decrease drawers for uncooked poultry and different uncooked proteins.

For those who do not feel like rearranging your fridge, you may restrict your danger of foodborne sickness by conserving packages of uncooked poultry in a big bowl or meals storage container or setting it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any potential drips. I like to recommend storing uncooked meat and seafood this manner as properly. And, in fact, it is essential to comply with different meals security practices: Preserve a fridge thermometer to make sure the equipment is sufficiently chilly (at or under 40°F/4.4°C), wash your arms with cleaning soap and water after dealing with uncooked meat and poultry, and cook dinner meat, seafood, and poultry to secure temperatures. 

Rearranging your fridge or grabbing a container to catch drips is a small change, however one that may spare you from the gut-wrenching expertise of meals poisoning. So the subsequent time you place away your rooster, place it on the backside of your fridge—or maintain it contained.