Bottom shelf of the fridge

Do any of us need "health advice"? Surely common sense would stop you putting uncooked and cooked meats near each other especially uncovered for short term storage especially as long as the temperature is below 5 - the usual temperature of the fridge) a large lidded plastic box / several lidded plastic boxes of the storage variety will keep veg/turkey / fruit/ mince pies etc perfectly well in the garage, cellar or shed. The reason for the lid is to keep mice out.

That should be a new sentence starting "For short term storage. . . "

But there is no problem Soutra. No one on here thinks that the bacteria walk across the shelf, so there is no problem.

But what about the eggs? Why did you think they should be kept on the bottom shelf, soontobe?

I dont know, now you ask Ana! I have always kept them there. I think of them as raw.

Our garage is not right next to our house. So I am not going to keep traipsing out there Soutra.
Besides which, the cat is out there, and sometimes the dog.

tanith says that bacteria can be on the shell of an egg.

Sorry soontobe but you
1) said you were juggling fridge space over Christmas so just a suggestion. And those storage box lids which clip on are not openable by a cat or dog!
2) you brought up the quality of the "health advice" I maintain common sense would make it obvious and
3) why on earth keep a box of eggs in the fridge? They are best kept and used at room temperature but if your kitchen is really warm and you are unhappy, most fridges have egg holders which fit in the door. But frankly I would never keep them in the fridge anyway.
4) I find it hard to believe that you are asking about cooked/raw meat being in proximity to each other after presumably decades of not giving your family food poisoning! I presume you do know about not using chopping boards for food which does not require cooking after using the same board for raw meat??

You have made me realise that modern fridges no longer have egg holders in the doors as they used to. I never used them as I have never kept eggs in the fridge.

My fridge is a big JL one about 6 years old and came with a sort of dimpled plastic "extra" tray thingy for 6 eggs which would fit in the door but I don't keep them in the fridge anyway preferring to buy them fresh and never more than 9 at a time unless I am baking and keep them in a basket by the cooker.

I'm a bit puzzled too, especially with regard to point 4 of Soutra's previous post.

There may be bacteria on the shell of an egg (although probably not life-threatening). There's probably bacteria on the outside of any container you use in the fridge - the low temperature in there just prevents it from multiplying...

Cling film.

End of thread.

1.Sorry Soutra. I didnt mean to come across as dismissive of your suggestions.
2. I think we have all been trained to not have cooked meat or whatever on the bottom shelf, but I think the Government advice has tried to keep it simple. But I think we are sensible enough [now I know that bacteria does not walk across to another food], that we just have to keep things apart from each other and all will be well.
3. We will have to agree to differ. I have found that my eggs keep longer in the fridge, than outside it.
4. No we dont have food poisoning, and yes I do know about boards.
But on the strength of this thread, I fully intend to not just have raw meat on the bottom shelf.

annsixty. Our fridge doesnt have the egg compartment either.

Ana. I dont understand what you are trying to say.

jingl. There was a cancer scare about cling film several years ago. So I have not used it since.

No comment.

My fridge is modern and it does have an egg holder in the door.

I think clingfilm is safe to cover foods but I would never use it in the microwave.

A new washing up bowl to keep large pieces of meat or a turkey in is a great idea, I may try that. I always keep raw meat, bacon etc on the bottom shelf; however my veg drawers are underneath so I put the covered raw meat on a plate or in a roasting tin in the fridge. The cooked meat goes on the next shelf up with the cheeses, then the yogurts, cream (cream only at Christmas of course!) above that.

I usually follow Nigella's advice and take the meat out of the fridge for a while before cooking, I let it come to a cool room temperature first. We have a utility room which is quite chilly in winter because the radiator is rubbish in there, but it is ideal for keeping some foods cool if the fridge is overloaded.

Well, if you are pushed for space you could store foods that are not meat but are going to be cooked along with the raw meat, eg vegetables, mushrooms, potatoes. The cooking would kill off any stray bacterium which had strolled across.

That would free up space elsewhere eg in the vegetable drawers, to store lots of other stuff.

And yes, I do have a potato bag that is supposed to stop them sprouting and keep them fresh, but it doesn't really work and I find they are better kept in the veggie drawer in the fridge!

ambiguous post - not vegetables that are going to be cooked with the meat, but I meant you could store vegetables alongside the meat in the fridge.

I'm trying to think of a single type of bacterium with feet – and failing.

I'm with soutra - this thread is a bit like trying to teach your grandmother to suck eggs!

My fridge has an egg holder and I do use it to store eggs!

Thank you for all the storage and other tips.

I have already started putting other things on my bottom shelf besides raw meat.

bacterium. If it doesnt have feet, presumably it crawls about?
But kittylester's post sort of pointed out that the bacterium do not move about to the fridge door or up another shelf etc. So it must stay on the original food.

I meant kittylester's earlier post.

I don't know how I've survived without reading government websites giving me advice about cling film/ eggs in fridge/raw meat.