The perfect temperature for a refrigerator that keeps food healthy

It’s quite annoying when you open your fridge with the intent of savouring some delicious leftovers, only to find them spoilt.

Does this happen quite regularly? Then it might have something to do with the temperature of the fridge.

If the temperature is too high or too low, there are chances of food getting spoilt quickly.

According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), half of the households in the United Kingdom have their refrigerators set at a higher than the required temperature – at 7 degrees Celsius. According to WRAP, the ideal temperature of the refrigerator should be between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius.

According to various researches, the food we store in our fridge isn’t suitable to be stored at a temperature above 5 degrees Celsius. Mostly the people set the temperature too high, which makes the whole atmosphere too warm for the food to handle. It can put the fridge in the danger zone, where the food will get spoiled quickly and you would not even get to know it.

Setting a temperature which is too cold can also lead to spoilage of food as it can not just cause freezer burns, but surprisingly can also harbour bacteria that thrive at higher temperatures.

The temperature should be adjusted according to season, in countries like India. For example, the end of winter season calls for an adjustment and so does the beginning of winter. It is important to clean and disinfect the fridge before setting the temperature for the coming season.

If you are going to refrigerator shopping, you will realize that most of these refrigerators have adjustable temperature settings. Not just that, in this age of technology, many refrigerators are even coming with new hi-tech features that limit the usage of refrigerators so that energy can also be saved. However, if you have a fridge which does not show the temperature, it becomes necessary to invest in a good appliance thermometer that can help you settle down at an ideal temperature. A good thermometer will give you an accurate reading within 1-2 degrees, so you can trust your fridge is actually out of the danger zone.

To measure the temperature, place the refrigerator thermometer in the centre of the area you’d like to test, such as the top shelf or meat drawer. Close the refrigerator door and wait a couple of hours (6-7 hours for best results) for the most accurate read. After taking the reading, adjust the temperature controls accordingly