What is a safe temperature for foods in a refrigerator?
Refrigerators serve two main purposes. First, they
are designed to prevent food from molding and creating food borne illness,
and second, they are meant to help keep food for longer before it spoils.
In order to perform both of these tasks, the food
inside the fridge must be kept cold, but – because we do not want to freeze
the food – must also be kept above the freezing temperature of 32 degrees.
What is the Maximum Temperature of Food
Inside a Fridge?
According to the FDA, food inside of a refrigerator
must be no higher than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. It should be noted that this
is the advised temperature for food inside of the fridge – not for the air
inside of the fridge, which may need to be colder in order to cool food to
the 41 degree maximum. 41 degrees is the point where food starts to
experience greater amounts of bacteria and molding, which causes most foods
to break down.
It should be noted, however, that there are other
factors in play as well. 41 degrees will use the least amount of energy, but
it also is the most prone to external factors affecting the temperature of
the food. If, for instance, you put a particularly hot plate inside of the
refrigerator, you run the risk of raising the cabin temperature, which
increases the likelihood of food warming. The more time your food spends
warming, the more it is prone to spoiling.
What is the Ideal Temperature?
Ideal temperature can vary a little bit due to
volume of food inside the fridge and expectations of putting hotter things
inside. However, ideally you will keep your refrigerator at roughly 38
degrees. This keeps food for longer than 41 degrees (in other words, it will
take longer for your milk to spoil). The warmer it is, the faster the food
will spoil, regardless of how well the food keeps in the fridge.
You can turn your refrigerator temperature lower as
well. Some go as low as 33/34 degrees, and almost all go as low as 35. But
the colder the temperature, the more prone the food in the refrigerator will
be to freezing. It also uses more energy, and many require a forced defrost
cycle which some people would prefer to avoid.
Keeping Your Food Safe
Your most important concern when you are deciding
on where to set your refrigerator temperature should always be the
prevention of food borne illness. As such, if you are worried that your food
may spoil too easily, you should place your refrigerator temperature to the
lowest degree possible.
But your next concern should be energy usage and
other factors, like the water that can spill onto your floor from the
defrost cycle. To avoid those inconveniences, you may want to raise the
temperature just slightly and keep it at roughly medium, or 38 degrees. That
is the best way to get the outcomes you want from your fridge – keeping your
food safe and reducing spoiling without creating a mess.
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