Food Safety Tips: Keeping Foods Cool

Sometimes your fridge will let you know it is struggling to keep cool. If the motor is running a lot of the time or if perishables such as milk and meat go off quicker than they should, the fridge temperature setting might need tweaking, or the door seals replacing.

Many fridge control dials will only have settings of low and high, or a series of numbers rather than the actual temperature. It might mean trial and error getting the right setting.

Fridge thermometers are available from some hardware and kitchen or homeware stores. Alternatively, you can place an ordinary thermometer in a glass of water in your fridge overnight and take a reading when you first open the door the next morning.

Temperatures may vary throughout the fridge. The door is usually the warmest place and the top shelf is often warmer than the others, although this may vary depending on your model. To get an overall idea of the operating temperature, a reading should be taken in the middle of the fridge. Read the fridge manual for more information and tips on how best to use your particular model.