Health Management Fridge: 3 Tips for Storing Food According to the Freshness Time Table
In modern society, the fridge is no longer a "luxury" only used in the summer. Many people are used to keeping their fridges on year-round, and many office workers also have a habit of doing a big shopping trip on the weekend, stuffing all their "provisions" into the fridge at once. In fact, a fridge is not a "food sterilizer." Due to long-term food storage and infrequent cleaning, fridges can breed many bacteria. If stored improperly, food in the fridge, even if it looks fresh on the outside, may actually have a negative impact on your health. How long can different types of food be stored in the fridge? You might want to check the "freshness time table" below.
There is a time table for keeping food fresh in the fridge
The common refrigeration temperature for storing food in a fridge is 4°C to 8°C. In this environment, the growth rate of most bacteria slows down. However, some bacteria are psychrophilic, such as *Yersinia* and *Listeria*, which can actually grow and multiply rapidly at this temperature. If you eat food contaminated with these bacteria, it can cause intestinal diseases. In the freezer compartment of the fridge, the temperature is generally around -18°C. At this temperature, most bacteria are inhibited or killed, so food stored here has a better preservative effect. However, freezing does not completely sterilize food; some bacteria with strong cold resistance can still survive. Therefore, from another perspective, if a fridge is not disinfected regularly, it can become a "breeding ground" for some bacteria.
How to use the fridge correctly is also essential household knowledge for housewives. For the health of your family, you need to know how long food can be kept in the fridge. Here is a time table for food storage in the fridge.
Fresh eggs: 30-60 days refrigerated
Hard-boiled eggs: 6-7 days refrigerated
Milk: 5-6 days refrigerated
Yogurt: 7-10 days refrigerated
Fish: 1-2 days refrigerated, 90-180 days frozen
Beef: 1-2 days refrigerated, 90 days frozen
Steaks: 2-3 days refrigerated, 270 days frozen
Sausage: 9 days refrigerated, 60 days frozen
Chicken: 2-3 days refrigerated, 360 days frozen
Canned food: 360 days refrigerated (unopened)
Peanut butter, Sesame paste: 90 days refrigerated (opened)
Coffee: 14 days refrigerated (opened)
Apples: 7-12 days refrigerated
Citrus fruits: 7 days refrigerated
Pears: 1-2 days refrigerated
Cooked tomatoes: 12 days refrigerated
Spinach: 3-5 days refrigerated
Carrots, Celery: 7-14 days refrigerated
Leftovers: 3 days (if not eaten)
Fruits and vegetables: up to one week
Sauces: two months.
Three tips for storing food in the fridge
For many people, once food is put in the fridge, it's like wearing a "protective suit." In reality, the nutritional value and fresh flavor of the food gradually fade during storage. There are tricks to keeping food fresh.
Don't pile food randomly
In fact, bacterial contamination in home refrigerators is a serious problem, especially in areas where raw food is often stored. Experts point out that every year, many children experience symptoms of food poisoning such as diarrhea, vomiting, and fever after eating food taken directly from the fridge. In the home, there are three main aspects of food safety: food storage, food handling, and cooking. If containers, utensils, knives, and cutting boards that have held raw food come into contact with cooked food, it can lead to contamination of the cooked food with pathogenic microorganisms from the raw food. If the food is not reheated or is not heated to a sufficient temperature before consumption, it can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Randomly piling food in the fridge can cause cross-contamination of bacteria and may lead to food poisoning. Psychrophilic bacteria can survive in environments of 0-5°C or even lower. Unprocessed ingredients such as fresh vegetables, fruits, especially meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood all carry bacteria. Processed foods, such as braised dishes, grilled foods, cold salads, pastries, and sashimi, may also be subject to external cross-contamination due to incomplete processing or improper storage.
It's best to use food storage containers
Proper food preservation in the fridge can prevent the loss of nutrients and flavor. Food preservation requires three factors: temperature, humidity, and gas. Putting food directly into the fridge ensures the temperature, but it cannot guarantee humidity and gas, leading to problems like food shrinkage, nutrient loss, and even flavor mixing and spoilage. Ordinary plastic bags cannot seal food, so they cannot maintain humidity, nor can they block gas flow. Moreover, many plastic bags and containers are not specifically for food use. For example, PVC plastic wrap is very harmful to the human body because its component, di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA), can easily leach out and has a carcinogenic effect after entering the body with food. At the same time, plastic wrap and bags have poor durability and sealing properties and cannot prevent flavor mixing. Qualified food storage containers are basically free of harmful substances and can, to a certain extent, block gas flow and moisture loss. If they have a good sealing function, the preservation effect will be much better. The international standard for sealing is evaluated by the moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR). High-quality food storage containers have a much lower MVTR than similar products, allowing food to stay fresh for a longer time.
Pay attention to the suitable temperature for different foods
Different foods have their own suitable storage temperatures. "Meat, such as pork and beef, should be stored in an environment of -18°C. If refrigerated at -2 to 5°C, meat can be stored for up to a week. Green vegetables should be stored in a low-temperature environment (not lower than 0°C). The suitable storage temperature for cabbage, celery, onions, and carrots is around 0°C." Not all foods are better off at lower temperatures. For example, the best storage temperature for potatoes should be 2-4°C, while cucumbers, eggplants, and tomatoes are best stored at 7-10°C. Pumpkins should be stored at temperatures above 10°C, sweet potatoes are best stored at temperatures above 15°C, bananas should be stored at around 13°C, oranges at 4-5°C, apples at -1 to 4°C, mangoes at 10-13°C, papayas at 7°C, and lychees at 7-10°C. Therefore, foods like bananas, mangoes, lychees, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bread should not be stored in the fridge.