{"id":9329,"date":"2020-04-24T08:00:36","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T13:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=9329"},"modified":"2021-01-15T11:59:21","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T17:59:21","slug":"stocked-not-stuffed-tips-for-fridge-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/stocked-not-stuffed-tips-for-fridge-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Stocked, not stuffed – tips for fridge safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the novel coronavirus<\/a> (COVID-19)\u00a0pandemic reached our communities, most of us have taken to stocking up on larger-than-normal amounts of supplies to limit trips to the store. However, the act of stocking up can create an unintended health hazard.<\/p>\n

You might be tempted to stuff as much food into your refrigerator as it can hold; to take advantage of every square inch of space. But, having too much food in your fridge actually causes it to not work properly, putting yourself in danger of getting sick from improperly cooled food, according to Nathan Hamman, wellness services manager at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center<\/a> in Rockford, Illinois.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your refrigerator is overloaded there won’t be proper air flow, so the temperature could be raised too high,\u201d Hamman said. \u201cIf you don’t have a thermometer, either in your refrigerator or one with a digital display, you don’t know how warm the food is, and it needs to be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder so bacteria and mold and those types of things don\u2019t grow on the food.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cDanger Zone\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bacteria grows fastest on food between the temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range is known as the \u201cDanger Zone<\/a>.\u201d So, to protect yourself and your family from foodborne illness<\/a>, you need to keep the following in mind:<\/p>\n