Balancing shelf life and energy cost

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) says that a refrigerator should be kept at 5ºC or below. This is slightly higher than the 4ºC (40ºF) maximum recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

While determining what is the maximum temperature that food should be stored in a fridge is important for food safety reasons, business owners need to base their actual fridge temperatures around their specific business needs.

Businesses selling high-risk foods like meat, seafood and dairy products, should consider prioritising shelf life by reducing the fridge temperature to a lower value, maybe 1-2ºC. This will slow the growth of bacteria and micro-organisms, such as mold, that cause foods to spoil.

If you sell low-risk refrigerated foods that have a high turnover, you might benefit more from setting your fridge thermometer towards the permitted maximum, perhaps 3-4ºC. Every degree of refrigeration will increase the load on your fridge's pump, drawing more electricity and increasing your monthly bills.

While customer safety has to be the priority, reducing your fridge temperature too much can be a waste of energy.

How cold should your freezers be?

You now know what is the maximum temperature that food should be stored in a fridge, but what about in a freezer?

The FSA and FDA give the same advice on this, saying that frozen foods should be stored at -18ºC (0ºF) or displayed at -12ºC (10ºF). You should also freeze perishable foods within two hours.

At these frigid temperatures, bacterial growth stops altogether. This means that food can theoretically be stored indefinitely in a freezer. In reality, the longer food is frozen, the poorer its quality, so you should always stick to the product guidance.

How long will food stay safe in a fridge or freezer following a power cut?

With warnings of potential power cuts over the winter, businesses may be concerned about having to throw out food if fridges and freezers break down. What is the maximum temperature that food should be stored in a fridge following loss of power?

The good news is that food can stay protected within a fridge or freezer for a short period of time without power. As long as the power is restored within four hours (for a fridge) or 48 hours (for a freezer), and proper temperature checks are carried out on frozen foods, it is usually possible to avoid throwing food out.

If the freezer's appliance thermometer reads 4ºC or below, the FDA say that food can be re-frozen safely. If there is no thermometer, each food item will need to be checked individually. If ice crystals are present or the temperature is 4ºC or below, the item can be refrozen, again according to the FDA.

Any spillages should be cleaned immediately before re-freezing to stop bacteria from thawed foods contaminating other products.

Of course, you should always follow your industry's most recent guidelines on food safety.

What to do if your fridge exceeds the maximum allowable temperature

Hopefully, this article helped you answer the question, 'What is the maximum temperature that food should be stored in a fridge?' But what should you do if your actual fridge temperature (as measured by an appliance thermometer) exceeds this value? Is it time for a new fridge?

Not necessarily. As explained in other articles on our blog, damaged or even dirty gaskets (fridge seals) are a common culprit when it comes to warm fridge interiors. Some articles include advice on cleaning gaskets, but if you need to order a new one, visit our home page for a simple way to get hold of a replacement.