Has there ever been something that you needed to do that was on your mind for a while? Mine was to clean my refrigerator! Not that is was extremely dirty, it was just due. I read in a survey once that most Americans only clean out their refrigerator once a year!

Food is very susceptible to housing bacteria if not handled properly, and your refrigerator is where you keep a lot of your food. Here are several tips to help you maintain a happy and healthy refrigerator.

• Check your temperature. It should be 40 degrees Fareinheight or below, anything higher greatly increases the risk for developing harmful bacteria
• Refrigerator leftovers right away. The longer you wait, the longer they will be in the temperature danger zone (40 – 140). Ideal is 2 hours after cooking.
• User shallow containers when storing leftovers. Deeper containers take longer to cool.
• Monitor your food. Certain foods should only be kept in the refrigerator for a certain amount of time. See below. Sorry for the broken chart! 

http://www.plasticsinfo.org/Main-Menu/MicrowaveFood/CookingStorage-Tips/Food-Storage-Tips/Cold-Storage-Chart.html

• Wash your fruits and veggies right before cooking, not before you put then in the refrigerator. Moisture can accelerate spoilage.
• Never store raw meat and fish above cooked foods or Fruits & Veggies. They can drip and contaminate the cooked foods.
• Clean spills right away.
• Check out the food contents once a week to make sure nothing is spoiled.
• Clean out your fridge about once a month with soap and bleach to sanitize. This includes drawers doors and shelves.

Half an hour later……

Now the only problem is that I am pretty much out of food! Off to Whole Foods.