A study has found more than seven in 10 household refrigerators tested in Wales were operating at higher than the suggested safe temperature. Food safety experts at the ZERO2FIVE Food and Drink Research Unit at Cardiff Metropolitan University conducted the research. Findings revealed that 71 percent of fridges exceeded the recommended safe temperature of 5 degrees C (41 degrees F).
Also, 37 percent of fridges in the study were running at 10 degrees C (50 degrees F) or higher. Guidelines from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) advise that domestic refrigerators operate at 5 degrees C (41 degrees F) or below. Fridges above this temperature can increase the growth rate of foodborne bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis.
Previous ZERO2FIVE research found that despite 79 percent of people surveyed believing refrigeration to be important, 84 percent were unaware of the safe operating temperature of a fridge. Given this lack of awareness, researchers from ZERO2FIVE developed a citizen science project and distributed 1,175 fridge thermometers to the public at events in Wales. Participants were instructed to upload a photograph of the thermometer in their household fridge and record its operating temperature using an online tool.
Results prompt public actions Of 201 participants, 90 percent reported not owning a refrigerator thermometer before participating in the study. Results showed that household fridge temperatures ranged from 0 to 20 degrees C (32 to .