Refrigerator Storage

Appears in
Professional Cooking
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

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Table 2.1 Food Storage Temperatures

Raw vegetables and fruits 40°–45°F 4°–7°C
Eggs 38°–40°F 3°–4°C
Milk and cream 36°–40°F 2°–4°C
Poultry and meat 32°–36°F 0°–2°C
Fish and seafood 30°–34°F –1°–1°C
Note: Potatoes, onions, and winter squash are best held at cool temperatures (50°–65°F or 10°–18°C).
  1. Keep all perishable foods properly refrigerated. Note the lower limit of the Food Danger Zone (41°F/5°C) is only the upper limit for refrigerator storage. Most foods keep even better at lower temperatures. The major exception is fresh fruits and vegetables, which are not considered potentially hazardous foods. See Table 2.1 for preferred storage temperatures for various foods.
  2. Do not crowd refrigerators. Leave space between items so cold air can circulate.
  3. Keep refrigerator doors shut except when removing or putting in foods.
  4. Keep shelves and interiors of refrigerators clean.
  5. Store raw and cooked items separately, if possible.
  6. If raw and cooked foods must be kept in the same refrigerator, keep cooked foods above raw foods. If cooked foods are kept below raw foods, they can become contaminated by drips and spills. Then, if they are not to be cooked again before serving, they may be hazardous.
  7. Keep refrigerated foods wrapped or covered and in sanitary containers.
  8. Do not let any unsanitary surface, such as the bottoms of other containers, touch any food.
  9. Chill foods as quickly as possible over ice or in a cold-water bath before placing in the refrigerator. A gallon of stock placed in a refrigerator hot off the stove may take 10 hours to go below 41°F (5°C), giving bacteria plenty of time to grow.
  10. When holding foods such as protein salads in a cold bain-marie or refrigerated table for service, do not heap the food above the level of the container. The food above this level will not stay cold enough.