Over 355,000 Monthly Readers
IN FOCUS FOR PEOPLE Over 50
  • Home
  • Health
  • Money
  • Travel
  • Arts
  • Tech
  • Cover Stories
  • Housing
  • From the Publisher
  • Silver Pages Directory
  1. Home
  2. Health

Health

SEARCH Health

Never store these in the refrigerator door

Where things go in the fridge matters for proper food safety and storage. Dreamstime/TNS
  • Share
PRINT
By Alex Loh
Posted on January 20, 2023

After a trip to the grocery store, unloading food into the refrigerator might seem like a simple process, but it’s not as straightforward as you may think. From the shelves to the drawers and the refrigerator door, where things go in the fridge matters for proper food safety and storage.

Before you store anything, make sure that your fridge is the proper temperature. According to the USDA, “Refrigerators should be set to maintain a temperature of 40 degrees or below.”

Your fridge may already include a built-in thermometer to help regulate the temperature, but if yours doesn’t have that function, you can buy an appliance thermometer.

While the ambient temperature of the shelves and drawers tends to remain constant, the door of the fridge is susceptible to temperature fluctuations. Each time the refrigerator door is opened, its contents are exposed to warm air.

As a result, foods stored in the door are at a higher risk of spoiling, so it’s important to store foods there that can handle the temperature changes.

Read on to learn about the four foods that should never be stored in the refrigerator door — and what you should store there instead.

  1. Milk. While it may seem like a convenient place to store large gallons of milk, the door is actually the worst option. Warm temperatures allow bacteria to grow, so storing milk in the door, where it will be consistently exposed, will only increase the odds of spoilage.

Instead, the Dairy Council of California recommends storing milk in the back of the refrigerator where the temperatures are coldest.

  1. Eggs. Although some refrigerators feature a special, egg-shaped shelf in the door, it’s not in the right location to maintain proper egg-storage temperatures. According to the American Egg Board, eggs are best stored on an inside shelf where the temperature is more consistent.

Eggs should also be kept in their original carton, as the AEB notes that the carton will prevent moisture loss and protect the eggs from absorbing any odors or flavors from other foods.

  1. Fruits and vegetables. If you’re looking to grab a handful of grapes or carrot sticks for a healthy afternoon snack, the refrigerator door provides easy access.

But there’s a better place for fruits and vegetables: the crisper drawers. The specialty drawers “provide an optimal storage environment for fruits and vegetables,” according to the USDA.

Most crisper drawers allow you to control the humidity level, so you can designate separate compartments — one for fruits and one for vegetables. (FYI: fruits need lower humidity while vegetables need higher humidity.)

  1. Cheese. Similar to fruits and vegetables, there’s a special place for cheese in the fridge, and it’s not the door. Instead, the slim drawer (depending on your fridge’s layout, it may be in the middle or at the bottom) is designed to store cheese.

As the USDA explains, “Additional cool air is directed into the drawer to keep items very cold without freezing,” which is perfect for cheese. This drawer is also a good location to store deli meats.

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at eatingwell.com.

©2022 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Health 2023

  • January
  • February

#Health Study #Recipes #Coronavirus

2022
Health Archive

2022Mont. Co.

SENIORS' RESOURCE GUIDE

Click here to see the 2022 Seniors' Resource Guide.

Silver PagesDirectory

FIND WHAT YOU NEED, FAST.

This comprehensive, searchable directory covers
housing, homecare, elder law and financial planning

CommunityEvents

A CALENDAR JUST FOR YOU

Find fun, interesting, informative things to do Or post your upcoming event on our website!

Silver PagesDirectory

FIND WHAT YOU NEED, FAST.

This comprehensive, searchable directory covers housing, homecare, elder law and financial planning

Submit PrintClassifieds

ALL PRINT CLASSIFIEDS ARE SUBMITTED ONLINE

Click here to submit your classifieds for one of our upcoming print editions.

CommunityEvents

A CALENDAR JUST FOR YOU

Find fun, interesting, informative things to do Or post your upcoming event on our website!

About the Beacon

Over 50 or love someone who is? Then consider the Beacon your resource for trustworthy information on health, money, technology and travel topics, as well as entertaining features, arts and events.

The Beacon’s award-winning content covers health, financial, technology, housing, travel and arts topics, as well as local events and feature stories. Readers of our three print editions pick up more than 179,000 copies each month at more than 2,000 distribution sites. We also mail copies to subscribers throughout the United States.

Contact Us

THE BEACON NEWSPAPERS

PO Box 2227  •  Silver Spring, MD 20915

WASHINGTON, DC

TEL: 301-949-9766  •  FAX: 301-949-8966

HOWARD COUNTY & BALTIMORE, MD

TEL: 410-248-9101  •  FAX: 301-949-8966

More on our Website

  • About
  • Resource Guide
  • Celebration of the Arts
  • Awards
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • The 50+Expos
  • Richmond Fifty Plus
  • Recipes
  • Puzzles
  • Community Events
Contact us Classified Form Subscription Form