Fridges, while intended to preserve food safety, can harbor as many as 1.8 million bacteria if not maintained at proper temperatures. Experts warn that many fridges exceed the Food Standards Agency's safety limit of 5°C (41°F), with average temperatures hovering around 5.3°C (41.54°F). Fluctuations in temperature can exacerbate this issue, allowing harmful bacteria to multiply rapidly. Researchers emphasize the need for better monitoring of fridge temperatures to prevent foodborne illnesses.
A lot of fridges are not operating at the correct temperature. Fridge temperatures are often high enough to enable bacteria to grow. Generally, the higher the temperature, the higher the level of growth.
The average UK fridge temperature is just above this safe limit at 5.3°C (41.54°F). That might not seem like a big difference, but it becomes a problem because of how often fridge temperatures fluctuate.
Some fridges spend as much as half their time above the safe limit, and studies have even found fridges running at temperatures as high as 15°C (59°F). At these temperatures, bacteria multiply rapidly on your food.
Part of the problem is that many fridges lack an accurate, accessible way to monitor their internal temperatures, which leads to unsafe storage conditions.
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