master-cooks | The Best Spot In Your Fridge To Store Raw Chicken

Storing raw chicken properly in your refrigerator is crucial to prevent cross-contamination and ensure food safety. The best spot to store raw chicken is on the bottom shelf of your fridge. This location is ideal because it minimizes the risk of raw juices dripping onto other foods, which could lead to contamination. Placing it on the lowest shelf also keeps it at a consistently cold temperature, which is essential for slowing down bacterial growth. It is advisable to keep the chicken in its original packaging or place it in a leak-proof container or a sealed plastic bag to further prevent any potential leaks. Additionally, storing chicken in this manner helps maintain the overall organization of your refrigerator, making it easier to find other items without disturbing the chicken. This method of storage is especially important if you have a fridge with wire shelves, as these can allow liquids to seep through more easily. By paying attention to where and how you store raw chicken, you can help ensure that your kitchen remains a safe and healthy environment for preparing meals.

Store raw chicken on the bottom shelf or drawer

It appears to be quite common for juice to leak from chicken packaging, and when this happens, it can spoil other food in your refrigerator. If you store your chicken above or on the same shelf as items like fruit or cheese, the leaked juices can render those foods unsafe to consume. A leaking chicken package may lead to the disposal of a significant amount of food in your fridge, particularly if the chicken is placed on a higher shelf. It can be difficult to determine which foods have been affected by the juices.

To avoid this issue, it's advisable to keep raw chicken on the bottom shelf or in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator. This way, if any juices escape from the packaging, they won't drip onto the food stored below. Additionally, to further minimize the risk of contamination, it's wise to store raw chicken in a plastic bag, container, or bowl. This will help prevent any juices from leaking onto the surfaces inside your refrigerator. In fact, if you can keep the bottom drawer of your refrigerator empty and designate it as the storage area for raw meat, you can significantly reduce the risk of contamination.

Additional storage guidelines to prevent foodborne illness from raw chicken

As expected, the CDC advises keeping chicken on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and storing it in a sealed container or wrapping it tightly. After handling raw chicken, it's also recommended to wash any dishes or surfaces that came into contact with it using hot, soapy water. In addition to cleaning the dish used for storage and any shelves or drawers that may have been exposed to raw chicken juices, designate a specific area at the bottom of your fridge solely for raw chicken to minimize the risk of cross-contamination. This practice ensures that you won't inadvertently place fresh strawberries on a contaminated surface.

It's also advisable to store chicken in the coldest section of the refrigerator, which is usually the bottom back, as cold air tends to sink. This area is generally colder because it is farther from the warm air that enters the fridge each time the door is opened. By keeping your chicken chilled in the bottom back of your refrigerator, you can enjoy your wings or favorite chicken nacho recipe with the peace of mind that you're reducing the chances of a stomachache later on.

The Best Spot In Your Fridge To Store Raw Chicken

Store raw chicken on the bottom shelf or drawer

Additional storage guidelines to prevent foodborne illness from raw chicken

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