Safe food storage

It's especially important to store meat and poultry correctly to stop bacteria from spreading and to avoid food poisoning. Make sure you:

• keep raw meat in a clean, sealed container on the bottom shelf of the fridge so that it doesn’t touch or drip onto other food
• follow storage instructions on the label
• do not eat it past its use-by date
• cool cooked meat as quickly as possible and then put it in the fridge or freezer
• keep raw and cooked meat separate

How should I store eggs?

• store eggs in a cool, dry place, ideally in the fridge
• store eggs away from other foods. It’s a good idea to use your fridge’s egg tray, if you have one, because this helps to keep eggs separate
• look out for the best before date on the egg
• eat dishes containing eggs as soon as possible after you’ve prepared them. If you’re not planning to eat them straight away, cool them quickly and then keep them in the fridge and eat within 2 days
• a hard-boiled egg can be kept for up to 2 days in the fridge (with or without the shell)
• to freeze whole eggs, beat the eggs until blended and pour into freezer containers that can be sealed tightly

Uncooked rice can contain spores of a bacterium called Bacillus cereus. This bacteria can cause food poisoning. Its spores can survive being cooked, which is why you need to take extra care when cooling and storing cooked rice.

The longer cooked rice takes to cool and is left at room temperature, the more likely it is that the bacteria will produce a toxin that will make it unsafe to eat.

Storing cooked rice

It’s safe to eat cold cooked rice if it’s cooled down quickly, stored in the fridge and eaten within 24 hours. To store cooked rice safely:

• chill it as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour
• take it out of the rice cooker, steamer or pan to cool it down faster
• consider dividing it into smaller portions to cool it down faster
• once at room temperature, put it straight into the fridge
• do not store it for longer than 24 hours before eating

Potatoes should either be stored in a cool, dry place or in the fridge. Acrylamide is a chemical substance formed when starchy foods, such as potatoes and bread, are cooked at high temperatures (above 120°C). 

In the past we have advised not to store potatoes in the fridge. But a study in 2020 showed that this will not increase the level of acrylamide-forming sugars.  For more information, please see the Food Standards Agency's advice on acrylamide.  
 

Many types of food don't need to be kept in the fridge. For example, dry foods such as rice, pasta and flour, many types of drinks, tinned foods, and unopened jars. But it's still important to take care how you store them. To store these types of food safely:

• try to keep them in sealed bags or containers – this helps to keep food fresh and stops anything falling into the food by accident
• keep food away from cleaning products or other chemicals
• don't store food in containers that have been used for other purposes
• only reuse plastic water bottles if they’re not damaged and you can clean them
• do not store food on the floor, this can encourage mice, ants and other pests
• keep the storage area dry and not too warm
• remember that some types of food might need to be kept in the fridge once you’ve opened them – follow storage instructions on the label

To store food from a tin can safely:

• put it into a clean bowl or container in the fridge once it’s opened – don’t store it in the opened can
• do not reuse empty tins to cook or store food – in an opened can, the food and tin are exposed to air, which means the tin might transfer to the food more quickly

This advice doesn't apply to foods sold in cans that have resealable lids, such as golden syrup and cocoa. This is because these types of food don’t react with the can.
 

It's best not to use kitchen foil or containers made from aluminium (such as aluminium pans) to store highly acidic foods such as:

• tomatoes
• rhubarb
• cabbage
• lemons, limes, raspberries, pineapple, and many other types of soft fruit

Aluminium foil or containers can affect the taste of these sorts of food, especially if they are stored for a long time.

When using cling film, remember:

• not every type of cling film is suitable to use with all foods – check the packaging to see which foods it can be used with
• some type of cling film isn’t suitable to touch high-fat foods like cheese, raw meats with a layer of fat like bacon, fried meats, pies, pastries, and cakes with buttercream or chocolate icing – check the packaging before using it
• do not use it if it could melt into the food, such as in the oven or on pots and pans on the hob
• if using it in the microwave, make sure it doesn't touch the food