It’s the news that will surely bring the dreaded fridge clean to the very top of your to-do list.
Startling new research has scientists now urging people across the world to clean out their refrigerators, and in particular, the fruit and vegetable drawer.
According to findings from Microban Europe, the seemingly safe home for your fresh produce can contain nearly 8,000 bacteria for every square centimetre, which is a terrifying 750 times the levels of bacteria considered safe for humans.
Some fridges out of the swabbed, frost-free 30 appliances even found as much as 129,000 bacteria per square centimetre, where killer bugs like salmonella, E.coli and listeria were discovered.
Since you’ll no doubt want to be avoiding such contaminations, here is a helpful list of ways to keep your food storage safe:
Wash all fruits and vegetables before consumption
Keep an eye on produce starting to wilt, mould or rot and toss it immediately
Remove and wash your refrigerator trays in hot soapy water once a month
Note use-by dates and avoid keeping ‘off’ foods
Turn the fridge temperature down in the warmer months