A staggering number of Brits are inadvertently inviting food poisoning into their homes by making a simple yet hazardous error in the way they store raw meat in their fridges.
Recent findings from an AO.com survey have set alarm bells ringing, exposing a lack of knowledge among British households regarding safe and hygienic kitchen practices.
Alarmingly, over half of those surveyed are placing their raw meat in perilous positions within their fridges, significantly increasing the likelihood of cross-contamination and the dangers of foodborne illnesses such as campylobacter and E.coli.
In light of these concerning statistics, a food storage specialist has sounded a health alert, concerned that numerous homes are not only using incorrect fridge sections for their meat but also failing to store it in a hygienically isolated manner.
Sarah Heaps, the expert in question, insists that raw meat must be kept on the lowest shelf of the fridge.
This area is notably the coldest part of the fridge.
It’s crucial that meat is either wrapped up or placed in a sealed container to prevent any leakage of juices that may carry harmful bacteria, thus avoiding contamination of other food items.
The survey’s data revealed that nearly one in four Brits wrongly use the middle shelf for their raw meat storage, which, according to the expert, “heightens the risk of meat juices contaminating the items stored on the shelf below”.
A worrying 7% place their meat on the top shelf, further increasing this danger, while 12% mistakenly store it in the drawers typically reserved for fruits and vegetables.
Sarah pointed out the potential dangers in common food storage habits: “It’s alarming to see that so many people are unknowingly putting themselves at risk of food-borne illnesses by improperly storing raw meat in their fridges.
The bottom shelf of the fridge is the only place for raw meat, as it prevents harmful bacteria from contaminating other foods. Be sure to never store it anywhere else.”
