Why does food need to be stored at a specific temperature?
Firstly, we should start by saying that chilling food doesn’t kill bacteria. What it does do is keep the bacteria from growing to levels that will harm you. That’s where a commercial refrigerator can help. Some foods are more susceptible to bacteria than others.
More susceptible foods
- Meat
- Chicken
- Rice (cooked)
- Seafood
- Eggs (cooked)
- Milk
If you plan on storing food for the long term, ensure that each one is correctly labelled with the date.
Stacking too much food in your fridge can also cause it to spoil. Make sure that everything is well balanced and spread out.
What could happen if it isn’t stored at the right temperature?
If the temperature is too high in your refrigerated trailer or refrigerated van, the bacteria that already live on the food will spread, causing the levels to become higher and thus cause some severe problems.Â
This where we come in.
We ensure that all of your produce is stored at precisely the right temperature to make sure that any risk on transportation of storage of food, is kept to a minimum.
Only the goods with the following temperatures may be stored in a commercial fridge. And these products within specified temperature ranges. Salad, fruit and vegetables must be chilled at +5°C to +8°C. Also, store dairy and snacks such as sandwiches, cooked meat and cooked poultry at 0°C to +5°C.
How long does food last without commercial refrigeration?
Different foods have very different out of refrigeration shelf lives.
Fruit and vegetables tend to be fine for a couple of days as long as they are kept out of direct sunlight. If the room temperature does get too hot, the food will perish considerably faster.
Chicken, meat and seafood must be refrigerated. Leaving them out (unless you are defrosting them) is deadly. Bacteria will spread incredibly fast and could cause you and your guests become very sick.
If you are using premade food from another supplier, make sure they have provided you with dates and times of said preparation and how long it can be left out.
Can your commercial refrigerator it be too cold?
If perishable food gets too cold, it can ruin. You do not want to freeze food unless you plan to keep it stored for an extended period. Not only that but if it gets too cold, ice can build up inside and cause problems in your refrigerator.
Food that could ruin if frozen
- Raw Eggs
- Fried Foods
- Carbonated Drinks (especially in glass)
- Water-rich produce. It will cause the water to separate and leave the food limp and horrible.
- Already defrosted meat
- Potatoes
- Condiments like mayonnaise
Food Safety Act 1990
The food safety act was created to ensure that businesses are not producing food that is detrimental to health, that is labelled, advertised and packaged correctly and that food is of the standard that consumers would expect.
Why is this relevant to the temperature of your refrigerator? Because if you do not have the correct temperatures for your storage of food, it will get spoilt and therefore potentially be an issue if sold or given to the public.
You can find full details of the Food Safety Act 1990 here.
Our Commercial Refrigerators
We ensure all of our equipment is kept to its highest standard, making sure that the temperature is regulating correctly and giving you peace of mind.
If you are opening and closing your refrigerators’ doors, the temperature can alter, so you will need to keep an extra eye on it. If that happens, here is a list of temperatures that you should be aware of.
Cold food on display 0°C – 7°C
Cooked meat and cooked poultry at 0°C to +5°C
Salad, fruit and vegetables at +5°C to +8°C
Sandwiches at 0°C to +5°C
If you have any commercial refrigeration needs, or any questions about your event or hire, please contact us here.