From childhood to adulthood, we have developed a habit of placing food in the refrigerator only when it has cooled thoroughly, otherwise it not only consumes electricity but also damages the lifespan of the refrigerator.But nutrition experts and scientific experiments tell you that doing so can easily increase food safety risks, especially in hot summers where some people even go to hospitals

From childhood to adulthood, we have developed a habit of placing food in the refrigerator only when it has cooled thoroughly, otherwise it not only consumes electricity but also damages the lifespan of the refrigerator.

But nutrition experts and scientific experiments tell you that doing so can easily increase food safety risks, especially in hot summers where some people even go to hospitals.

Life Times interviews experts to explain the reasons behind this and teaches you how to reduce food safety risks in the summer.

Interviewed experts

Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Zhu Yi, Associate Professor, School of Food science and Nutrition Engineering, China Agricultural University

Why not suggest keeping the food in the refrigerator when it's cold

The process of cooling food provides a great opportunity for bacterial reproduction, especially in summer, where the number of pathogenic bacteria can double in less than an hour, increasing the risk of food poisoning.

It's best to cook and eat food right now. If you have overcooked a meal or really want to eat tomorrow, the recommended method is:

It is recommended to use a square preservation box with a lid to reduce cross flavor and prevent moisture evaporation. When packaging, pack according to the amount that can be eaten at once, and heat one box at a time.

If you are worried about the heavy load on the refrigerator, it does make some sense to wait for the food to cool before putting it in. But if it's for the sake of one's own and family's health, it's recommended to 'put it in the refrigerator while it's hot'.

Recommend two ways to save power for refrigerators

Many households' electricity consumption tends to increase in the summer. If you are worried about increasing power consumption while it is hot, you can set the refrigerator as follows:

Set the gear of the refrigeration room to 2-3 gears

Lu Jianguo, the director of the Testing and Metrology Technology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Home Appliances, stated that the cooling of refrigerators and cold storage rooms is generally divided into 8 levels: level 0 is off; From 1st to 7th gear, the higher the number, the lower the temperature in the refrigeration room.

• In summer, the refrigeration room dissipates heat quickly and the compressor is frequently activated, so it should be set in a lower gear, such as 2nd or 3rd gear.
• In winter, the cooling of the refrigeration room is slow, and the compressor only starts once for a long time. Therefore, the gear should be adjusted up, such as 5th or 6th gear. Switch to 3rd and 4th gear in Spring and Autumn. This is relatively reasonable and energy-saving.

Don't overcrowd the refrigeration room

Research has found that refrigerators are the most energy-efficient when the freezer is full and empty.

If the refrigeration room is too full, it will hinder the convection of cold air. The temperature difference between the freezer and the outside world is the greatest, and the food is too loose and the temperature is easily unstable.

The refrigeration efficiency of current refrigerators has greatly improved. Although hot dishes may slightly increase the burden on the refrigerator, they are all within the normal operating range of the refrigerator.

Learn 5 tips to reduce food safety risks

In the hot summer, many families' refrigerators are like a "mini supermarket", with various leftovers, opened milk... as long as it's food, it seems like it can be put in.

However, the bacteria in the refrigerator only grow slowly, not without growth, and potential food safety risks need to be prevented in the summer.

1. Heat leftovers thoroughly before eating

Put the food that needs to be refrigerated in the refrigerator as soon as possible, don't wait until it cools down before placing it.

Even if an unfinished meal is placed in the refrigerator, it should be eaten as soon as possible and thoroughly heated before eating.

Before frying, plan to minimize leftover food as much as possible. Compared with meat dishes and seafood, vegetables are easy to produce nitrite during storage. Therefore, it's better to leave meat dishes than vegetable dishes.

2 partition storage

Separating raw and cooked foods and storing them in refrigerated compartments can help prevent cross infection. The refrigeration room is divided into 6 areas based on temperature:

• At the refrigerator door frame. The temperature here is relatively high, making it suitable for temporary storage at room temperature or food that is about to be eaten, such as eggs, cheese, open-label drinks, seasonings, etc.
• The position of the upper floor near the door. The upper layer has a slightly higher temperature than the lower layer, making it suitable for serving cooked food, yogurt, desserts, etc.
• Upper rear wall. The temperature of the back wall is lower than that of the door, making it suitable for storing foods that are not afraid of freezing, such as leftover rice, soy products, milk, etc.
• The position of the middle and lower layers near the door. Suitable for storing various green leafy vegetables and fruits. To prevent frostbite, it should be avoided from sticking tightly to the inner wall of the refrigerator.
• Lower rear wall. Foods that are not cooked well but require low-temperature preservation, such as tofu and other foods that are not afraid of cross contamination.
• Inside the preservation box24Inside the preservation box

3. Remove the plastic bag from the refrigerator

Many people put plastic bags into the refrigerator after buying vegetables, which is not conducive to food preservation and easy to breed bacteria.

The correct approach is to use plastic wrap for preservation. The special process and raw materials of the cling film have good breathability and preservation performance. When purchasing, the outer packaging should be marked with PE (polyethylene) material.

4. Refrigeration room is seven minutes full

The refrigeration room is most suitable to be filled at 60% to 70%, which is conducive to cold air circulation and ensures that every corner of the refrigerator reaches the ideal low temperature.

Don't forget to clean it up in a timely manner

Regularly remove food that has been stored over time, generally:

• Various raw and chopped meats, whether poultry or seafood, can only be refrigerated for 1-2 days;
• Meat pieces such as steak can be refrigerated for 3-5 days;

Editor of this issue: Zheng Ronghua

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