Home Storage Temperatures and Consumer Handling of Refrigerated Foods in Sweden

Abstract

The lack of data on consumer refrigeration temperatures and storage times limits our ability to assess and manage risks associated with microbial hazards. This study addressed these limitations by collecting data on temperatures and storage handling practices of chilled foods. Consumers from 102 households in Uppsala, Sweden, were instructed to purchase seven food items (minced meat, fresh herring fillets, soft cheese, milk, sliced cooked ham, vacuum-packed smoked salmon, and ready-to-eat salad) and to store them using their normal practices. They were interviewed the next day, and food temperatures were measured. In general, there were no significant relations between temperature and characteristics of the respondents (e.g., sex, age, education, age of the refrigerator). Mean storage temperatures ranged from 6.2 degrees C for minced meat to 7.4 degrees C for ready-to-eat salad. Maximum temperatures ranged from 11.3 to 18.2 degrees C. Data were not significantly different from a normal distribution, except for ready-to-eat salad, although distributions other than the normal fitted data better in most cases. Five percent to 20% of the food items were stored at temperatures above 10 degrees C. Most respondents knew the recommended maximum temperature, but less than one fourth claimed to know the temperature in their own refrigerator. Practical considerations usually determined where food was stored. For products with a long shelf life, stated storage times were different for opened and unopened packages. The current situation might be improved if consumers could be persuaded to use a thermometer to keep track of refrigerator temperature.

Women's Behaviors and Views on Home Food Safety in Tehran: A Qualitative Study

“…Similar to our study, the most important factors for choosing foods were: freshness, the expiry date, and safety assurance (28,30,37). Food Safety, Preparation and Storage: In agreement with our findings, respondents of other studies (11,38,39) also stated incorrect temperature of the refrigerator. Temperature as key factor in the growth of microorganisms should be assessed in order to control the growth of psychotropic microorganisms (40) (recommended temperature is 4.4°C) (41).…”

“…Surveys indicated that incorrect distribution of raw and cooked foods in refrigerators may lead to crosscontamination (39,43). Separate and appropriate storage of raw and cooked foods and covered containers has been recommended in order to prevent the transferring of pathogens into the refrigerator (44,45).…”

A review of the performance of domestic refrigerators

“…In an Australian telephone survey (Jay, Comar & Govenlock, 77 1999) only 15.5% of respondents knew the temperature of their fridge. A Swedish survey 78 (Marklinder et al, 2004) found a good level of awareness amongst its survey group, with 79 85% of respondents knowing the recommended refrigeration temperature (in this case 8°C). 80…”

Consumer Responsibility for Food Safety

“…However, retrospective analysis of foodborne disease outbreaks or cases provides limited information on consumer food safety-related behavior. The accuracy and availability of appropriate data/information can be limited because people often find it difficult to remember exact details regarding their own consumption of food and food handling practices, and such details can have a significant effect on disease occurrence (Marklinder et al, 2004;Janjic et al, 2015c). The ultimate purpose of consumer studies as related to foodborne disease is to determine what proportion of foodborne disease outbreaks are due to improper handling of food in households and to determine what consumers know about food safety and why some safe food handling practices are applied and some are not (Tucker et al, 2006).…”