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Where things go in the fridge is not only about tidiness. One rule in particular, where the raw meat goes, is a genuine food-safety rule, and the rest makes it much easier to use food before it goes off.
First, the temperature
The UK Food Standards Agency says your fridge should be between 0 and 5°C, and recommends checking it with a fridge thermometer once a week (FSA). US guidance gives 40°F (4°C) or below (FoodSafety.gov). The dial inside most fridges is not a temperature, so a cheap thermometer on the middle shelf is the only way to know.
Shelf by shelf
| Where | What goes there | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom shelf | Raw meat, poultry and fish, in their packaging or sealed containers | The FSA’s rule: they can’t touch or drip onto other food |
| Middle shelves | Dairy, eggs (in the egg tray), cooked meats, leftovers | The most even temperature. Keep cooked food separate from raw |
| Top shelf | Ready-to-eat food: yoghurts, prepared snacks, things that need no cooking | Nothing raw above it to drip down |
| Drawers | Vegetables and fruit | Designed to hold humidity |
| Door | Condiments, sauces, juice | The warmest part, so it suits the least perishable items. Milk does better on a shelf |
The bottom-shelf rule is the one that matters most: store raw meat, poultry and fish in their packaging or in clean sealed containers on the bottom shelf, so they can’t touch or drip onto other food. When you defrost food in the fridge, it goes there too, on a plate or in a container.
Leftovers, cooled properly
The FSA says not to put hot food in the fridge. Cool cooked food and get it into the fridge within one to two hours, and divide it into smaller portions so it cools faster. It also says to eat leftovers within two days, or freeze them if that won’t happen; US guidance allows 3 to 4 days (see our leftovers guide). Rice has stricter rules of its own.
A fridge that works for children
- A low snack shelf. Put the things children are allowed to help themselves to (yoghurts, cheese, cut fruit and vegetables) on one shelf they can reach, well away from raw meat.
- Clear containers so everyone can see what is there, and leftovers don’t get forgotten at the back.
- Oldest at the front. Put new shopping behind what is already there.
- Don’t overfill it. Cold air needs to circulate, and the FSA notes that leaving the door open makes the fridge work harder.
