Stacking the refrigerator

It is important to stack items correctly in refrigerators. This reduces cross contamination and keeps food safe to eat.

Cross contamination

Cross contamination is when bacteria from a raw food is transferred to a cooked or ready-to-eat product.

Safety rules

To minimise cross contamination, store foods as directed on the label and follow these safety rules:

• store raw meat near the bottom of the fridge, or in a covered tray on a fridge shelf
• keep raw food covered and separated from cooked food
• cover cooked food that is not likely to be reheated before serving
• store cooked food on a shelf above uncooked food
• use small, shallow containers for left overs
• arrange food in your fridge so that cold air can easily circulate
• avoid overstocking the fridge
• defrost your refrigerator regularly
• keep food with strong odours well wrapped
• avoid storing food with strong odours near food like milk and cream
• avoid placing milk in the fridge door, where the temperature may vary.

More information

For more information, contact Environmental Health. Get their contact details on the NT Health website.