In the last years, with the revolution in the food´s world, different fashions and opinions have emerged about the best way to carry out the conservation of food, either to last longer or to enhance its nutrients and benefits. Myths such as that you can not put hot food in the refrigerator or keep rice for more than 2 days because of the proliferation of bacteria, have been belied. Food safety has taken a fundamental role and has had to take a step forward to put order among all the hoaxes and opinions circulating on the internet that have no scientific basis.
Refrigeration of hot food
There has always been a belief that if you put hot food in the fridge, it will spoil. This statement is totally false. It is true that the refrigerator will have to make more effort to cool it, since the temperature difference is more than considerable, but does not pose a risk for food or the appliance.
An expert in food preservation and food safety, the food engineer Monste Melendez stated that “you are not going to break down and less by putting a hot tupper or two. And nothing will happen to your food”. She is a consultant in the business area and also creates content to do with food preservation and safety tricks. She also recommends not to store milk in the fridge´s door, as the change in temperature could damage the product.
How does my refrigerator work?
The fridge is one of the most essential appliances in our lives, if not the most. It allows us to store food, keeping it in better condition than if it were at ambient temperature. Meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, yoghurt, sausages, eggs… everything fits in the refrigerator reaching a greater preservation. The mechanism of a refrigerator is to remove hot air from an engine and replace it with cold air. Thus, all food is preserved at low temperatures.
How does the cold and heat affect my food?
Thanks to the air exchange system through an engine that have refrigerators, food can be kept fresh for much longer. Have you ever thought why those bananas that we always leave out, ripen and get black so quickly? The answer is because of bacterias. In warmer environments, bacteria proliferate more easily, which leads to some of our foods ripen very quickly and others are directly spoiled in a matter of days. Is that bacteria do not proliferate in cold environments? Yes, they do, but it costs them much more. That’s why food lasts longer when fresh if it is in the fridge.
How am I supposed to organize my fridge?
At this point, I wonder if I really know how to store my products and order my fridge, do you? There are so many new studies and fashions, so I don´t think so! Engineer Melendez advises that if we want to put hot food in the fridge, distribute it evenly through the container so that the cold reaches everywhere equally. It also indicates that it is better to put the hot food in from the beginning than after one hour, as the proliferation of bacteria may have already begun.
When storing it, explain that distribution is very important. We should not place delicate products in the doors, because when opening and closing the snow, they are those who most receive the impact of the change of temperature, which can cause the product to be spoiled.According to her, the best way to structure the fridge in descending order is: food on top, dairy in the middle, keep meat and fish and reserve the bottom for vegetables. From today I put into practice these recommendations so that my food last longer and be as safe as possible!
Here you´ll find an entire guide to learn how to store eggs safely!
