What Should be the Ideal Refrigerator Temperature?
If you want to know the ideal temperature at which your refrigerator would keep the food healthy, then this is the article for you.
The main purpose to get a refrigerator is to preserve the food articles, which can only be done at an optimum temperature. An optimum temperature can only inhibit the growth of bacteria since the refrigerator completely freezes them solid. Therefore food storage becomes really easy as we freeze whatever we want to store or preserve. Right? Wrong!! There are some food items that change, even quality wise, absolutely when frozen like lettuce, strawberries, milk and eggs which are just a few of the food items that don’t freeze well. It would also be very difficult to thaw liquids like milk and beverages. So basically the refrigerator only has to be cold, but not so cold that it solidifies food items. The optimum temperature is approximately between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit, that is, 1.7 to 3.3 degrees Celsius. Any temperature more than that would spoil the food products too quickly and you might face food poisoning problems.
Now we know that the temperature at which food items are stored has an effect on every nutritional value that the food item has from then on. As stated earlier that incorrect or inconsistent temperature inside the refrigerator can result in changes in taste, appearance, texture, nutrient content, and safety of the foods that is being consumed. All food products have bacteria but then what refrigerators do is slowing down growth of bacteria. If you freeze the food item it completely stops the growth of the bacteria. It is very essential to understand that freezers do not destroy the bacteria completely; they just stop the growth of the bacteria, which resumes growth as it is taken out of the freezer. When you check the expiration dates on the refrigerable food items such as milk, frozen vegetables and meat, that date is based on the assumption that you are storing the food item at the right, rather proper temperature. Too cold or too warm temperatures, immediately affect food items, such as lettuce, which becomes moldy and strawberries that become slimy. Temperatures of refrigerators or freezers which are used commercially for hotels or restaurants or for storage of medicines are checked carefully everyday. They are kept under close monitoring. When it comes to food storage one should be diligent and keep a check on all the appliances that affect the food quality. In case of freezers the temperature should be maintained at 0F or minus 18 degree Celsius or lower and when it comes to refrigerators the temperature should be at 40F or 5 degree Celsius or lower, but not very cold so as to freeze the food products.
Refrigerator Thermometer
If you really want to keep a check you can use a refrigerator or freezer thermometer that is available in most of the grocery stores or kitchen outlets. A basic thermometer can be bought for approximately around five dollars. Digital thermometers are also available that are operated by battery and give instant readings for refrigerator and freezer as well as weekly average temperatures for both. A digital thermometer can be bought for around twenty-five dollars. The freezer thermometer can be placed between two frozen objects likes two bags of vegetables for around a day before checking. The refrigerator thermometer can also be used in the same way. This is so that the thermometer can give us a better idea of the consistent temperature rather than an unstable temperature that is due to the fluctuations as when the door is opened. In case of any required adjustments, the thermometers are provided with temperature control dials using which the temperature can be adjusted. The dial has arbitrary numbers on it, which doesn’t refer to the temperature of the appliance but then actually is for your help and understanding to comprehend the degree of temperature that you have minimized or maximized. The thing that has to be checked is the how is the indicator close to the warmer part of the dial or colder part. So the thermometer and the temperature controller would definitely help you to get the right temperature inside the refrigerator as well as the freezer, hence you will be able to ensure the health and well-being of your family members.
