What is ‘fridgescaping’ and why it could be harmful to your health

Fridgescaping is the newest Tiktok trend in town, emanating from hit period drama Bridgerton, which has inspired people to adorn their fridge with fresh flowers, mirrors, ornate China, picture frames, figurines, and even lights.

People are letting their creative juices flow as they are arranging their foods, focusing on fridge décor as much as their home décor, and also engaging themselves in this calming activity.

People are also trying different themes to decorate their refrigerators including enchanted forests and Halloween.

While the practice adds joy to the life of those decorating, experts say there could be certain disadvantages of the practice for your health.

Experts say that a refrigerator is designed to keep food and other edible items and keeping them close to objects like picture frames and figurines can lead to contamination and transfer of allergens which can negatively impact the health.

“Let’s remember that much of the food you refrigerate is perishable and easily contaminated, and it can also transfer allergens — which could be dangerous for children,” says Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center. This can also include chemical exposure or release of chemicals from certain decorative items that can come in contact with food.

Fridgescaping can disrupt air circulation due to which your refrigerator may not be able to maintain the required temperatures which can prevent microbial growth and disease-causing organisms.

“Fridgescaping might involve placing non-food items in the refrigerator, which can disrupt air circulation. Without proper air circulation, your refrigerator may not be able to maintain temperatures that prevent bacterial growth and spoilage, allowing disease-causing organisms like Salmonella and E. coli to flourish,” Dr. Maria Knobel, the Medical Director of Medical Cert UK told Healthline.

Keeping flowers inside the fridge may expose your food with bugs from these flowers. Also, there are chances of framed photos or other decorative glass items to fall and break which could be troublesome.

“The last thing you want in your fridge is broken glass,” Mary Ellen Camire, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine at Orono told Washington Post. However, there are benefits of fridgescaping that one must consider:

Paying careful attention to the look and feel of your refrigerator means extra effort in keeping it clean which means it is free from dirt, dust, and food crumbs, things that can contaminate your food and make you sick.

Decorating your refrigerator and putting in an effort in arranging food would mean you would remove expired products from your fridge and only keep things that are fresh, which is against good for your well being. This can also prevent food waste because regularly keeping a check on food items stored in the fridge would ensure you use them on time, before their expiry.

Many people find fridgescaping very relaxing and some of them consider it as a creative outlet.