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Dangers lurk in refrigerators: study

Is your refrigerator dirtier than your toilet? A survey by Yuan's General Hospital in Kaohsiung and food container manufacturers has found that this is the case in many homes.

The survey questioned 400 people between the ages of 15 and 70 in Taichung, Kaohsiung and Taipei about their habits and knowledge of preserving food, as well the connection between proper food storage and intestinal diseases.

The results showed that people in Kaohsiung had the dirtiest fridges, while Taichung area residents were most prone to keeping food beyond its expiration date and people in Taipei had the poorest understanding of food storage.

Kaohsiung residents were most likely to let juices and bloody meats leak, fostering the growth of bacteria. The survey found that people in Kaohsiung like to buy fresh seafood and meat, but that 75 percent of them put the food directly into the fridge protected with only a plastic bag or rubber band.

Taichung residents like to pack their refrigerators full, and much of the food gets lost at the back and expires. One in five people in Tai-chung eats purchased food that has been in the fridge for seven days, and allows food to rot in the fridge.

Although people in Taipei tend to eat out the most, they often put leftover food in the refrigerator without packaging it properly.

Yuan's General Hospital has teamed up with food container makers and 30 Kaohsiung-area clinics to spread awareness about proper food storage.

Free handbooks will be available at the clinics until the end of August.

Hsu Chung-min (許崇民), the director of family medicine at the hospital, said seafood and meat were the main sources of e. coli and other dangerous bacteria and people should keep these items sealed in separate containers away from cooked food to prevent.
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