Expert reveals the shocking truth about putting warm food immediately in your fridge!
- Replies 6
The kitchen is a place of culinary creativity, but it's also a battleground where the war against foodborne bacteria is waged daily.
One of the most hotly debated topics in this arena is whether it's safe to put warm food in the fridge.
The answer, according to hygiene expert Mary Futher, may surprise you.
Contrary to popular belief, Futher warned against leaving leftovers out of the fridge until they reach room temperature.
‘True or false? Putting warm food in the refrigerator can actually cause bacteria,’ she said in her video.
'My mother-in-law always said, “Leave the food out, let it cool down before you put it in the fridge otherwise, it will grow bacteria.”’
‘Well, guess what? She was wrong,'
The expert advised putting warm food in the fridge as soon as possible.
'It's perfectly acceptable to put warm food in the fridge.’
‘In fact, don't leave food sitting out on your counter. If you left it out for more than two hours, you may as well throw it in the garbage.’
‘The sooner you get it into the fridge, the better,' she added.
Futher also suggested storing food in smaller containers as they cool down quicker.
'Bigger containers will take longer to cool down in the fridge,’ Futher said.
‘Make sure your leftovers are placed into a shallow dish. Don't put a big ginormous dish in the refrigerator because it'll take longer to cool down.’
Her video has sparked a heated debate, with over 2.4 million views and many divided over her statement.
Some viewers shared their own practices, with one saying, 'I always leave hot or warm food on the counter for about 30 minutes so it doesn't impact the temperature inside the fridge.'
Another claimed, 'Grew up with my mum leaving all the food in the pots overnight and we ate it the next day. No one ever got sick.'
One suggested, ‘It warms up the fridge. Not a problem for a small container, but don’t put a whole lasagna straight from the oven, or your other food could spoil.’
Another said, ‘I think it was true back in the day because the refrigerators were different. But our refrigerators now can handle cooling warm food.’
You can watch Futher’s video below:
Credit: @madamesweat / TikTok
The Australian Department of Health supports Futher's advice, stating that food should be cooled as quickly as possible to prevent the growth of bacteria.
However, they caution against putting hot food directly into the fridge after cooking as it may cause the temperature to increase above 5°C, which could put other food stored in the fridge at risk of growing bacteria.
Food Standards Australia-New Zealand also advises people to observe a 60°C to 21°C temperature window where hot food must be cooled or cold food must be warmed within two hours to discourage microbial growth in hazardous food like egg or meats.
Here’s how to cool food quickly:
The dangers of improperly stored food were highlighted last year when a 20-year-old student died from severe food poisoning after eating pasta that had been left out of the fridge for almost a week.
The case was attributed to 'fried rice syndrome', a type of food poisoning caused by the bacteria Bacillus cereus, often associated with improperly stored or reheated fried rice dishes.
In reaction to the case, Emergency Room Physician Dr Joe Whittington warned about the dangers of leaving starchy cooked foods such as rice or pasta at room temperature for more than two hours.
'This 20-year-old died of a condition that’s commonly referred to as “fried rice syndrome”’, he said.
‘This is a condition in which can have bacterial overgrowth if pasta or rice is left at room temperature for too long.’
‘You should not eat pasta or rice that’s been left at room temperature unrefrigerated for more than two hours.’
Do you leave warm food out of the fridge or follow Mary Futher’s tip? Let us know in the comments below!
One of the most hotly debated topics in this arena is whether it's safe to put warm food in the fridge.
The answer, according to hygiene expert Mary Futher, may surprise you.
Contrary to popular belief, Futher warned against leaving leftovers out of the fridge until they reach room temperature.
‘True or false? Putting warm food in the refrigerator can actually cause bacteria,’ she said in her video.
Hygiene expert Mary Futher said to put warm food in the fridge. Credit: @madamesweat / TikTok
'My mother-in-law always said, “Leave the food out, let it cool down before you put it in the fridge otherwise, it will grow bacteria.”’
‘Well, guess what? She was wrong,'
The expert advised putting warm food in the fridge as soon as possible.
'It's perfectly acceptable to put warm food in the fridge.’
‘In fact, don't leave food sitting out on your counter. If you left it out for more than two hours, you may as well throw it in the garbage.’
‘The sooner you get it into the fridge, the better,' she added.
Futher also suggested storing food in smaller containers as they cool down quicker.
'Bigger containers will take longer to cool down in the fridge,’ Futher said.
‘Make sure your leftovers are placed into a shallow dish. Don't put a big ginormous dish in the refrigerator because it'll take longer to cool down.’
Her video has sparked a heated debate, with over 2.4 million views and many divided over her statement.
Some viewers shared their own practices, with one saying, 'I always leave hot or warm food on the counter for about 30 minutes so it doesn't impact the temperature inside the fridge.'
Another claimed, 'Grew up with my mum leaving all the food in the pots overnight and we ate it the next day. No one ever got sick.'
One suggested, ‘It warms up the fridge. Not a problem for a small container, but don’t put a whole lasagna straight from the oven, or your other food could spoil.’
Another said, ‘I think it was true back in the day because the refrigerators were different. But our refrigerators now can handle cooling warm food.’
You can watch Futher’s video below:
Credit: @madamesweat / TikTok
The Australian Department of Health supports Futher's advice, stating that food should be cooled as quickly as possible to prevent the growth of bacteria.
However, they caution against putting hot food directly into the fridge after cooking as it may cause the temperature to increase above 5°C, which could put other food stored in the fridge at risk of growing bacteria.
Food Standards Australia-New Zealand also advises people to observe a 60°C to 21°C temperature window where hot food must be cooled or cold food must be warmed within two hours to discourage microbial growth in hazardous food like egg or meats.
Here’s how to cool food quickly:
The dangers of improperly stored food were highlighted last year when a 20-year-old student died from severe food poisoning after eating pasta that had been left out of the fridge for almost a week.
The case was attributed to 'fried rice syndrome', a type of food poisoning caused by the bacteria Bacillus cereus, often associated with improperly stored or reheated fried rice dishes.
In reaction to the case, Emergency Room Physician Dr Joe Whittington warned about the dangers of leaving starchy cooked foods such as rice or pasta at room temperature for more than two hours.
'This 20-year-old died of a condition that’s commonly referred to as “fried rice syndrome”’, he said.
‘This is a condition in which can have bacterial overgrowth if pasta or rice is left at room temperature for too long.’
‘You should not eat pasta or rice that’s been left at room temperature unrefrigerated for more than two hours.’
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