Although the contents of your fridge may look appetising, it could be riddled with an unhealthy amount of nasty germs, bacteria and mould, a recent study has discovered.
Researchers from the Microban Europe discovered a host of potentially dangerous bugs lurking in the average fridge, including E.coli, salmonella and listeria.
Worryingly, these findings are just in the salad drawer alone. Tests from 30 different salad drawers found a startling number of bacteria, with an average of 7,850 bacteria colony-forming units per square centimetre (cfu/cm2). In some cases, it found 129,000 bacteria per cfu/cm2.
“The whole purpose of a fridge is to keep food safe and minimise the chances of bacteria and mould growth so it is worrying that in some there is clearly a substantial problem, as the research indicates,” Paul McDonnell, who commissioned the study, told the Daily Mail.
“Some fridge owners regularly take all the food out of their fridge, wipe down the interior, and clean the salad drawers separately. However, some are effectively never cleaned, and that is probably where the problems occur,” McDonnell added.
Currently the standard EC recommendation for safe and clean food storage and preparation is 0 to 10 germs per cfu/cm2.
These findings follows a recent study which discovered one in six mobile phones contain E.col bacteria.
Is your fridge in tip-top shape? Check our tips on how to keep a healthy, germ-free fridge.