Most dangerous place in the fridge? With 8,000 bacteria every square centimetre… it's the salad drawer

18.oct.11
Mail Online
Ted Thornhill


Fridge salad drawers can contain 750 times the level of bacteria considered safe, researchers warn.
Potentially killer bugs such as E.coli, salmonella and listeria are among those found, researchers say.
Tests on samples from the salad drawers of 30 frost free home fridges showed they had an average of 7,850 bacteria colony-forming units per square centimetre (cfu/cm2). 
Some from which swabs were taken had as many as 129,000 cfu/cm2. 
The standard EC recommendation for ‘clean’ food preparation and storage surfaces is for 0-10 cfu/cm2.
Paul McDonnell of Microban Europe in Cannock, Staffordshire, which commissioned the research said: ‘The whole purpose of a fridge is to keep food safe and minimise the chances of bacteria and mould growth so it is worrying that in some there is clearly a substantial problem, as the research indicates. 
‘The performance of fridges is especially important in warmer weather, when high ambient temperatures mean that the potential for bacteria to multiply is high.
‘The low temperatures of fridges will only inhibit the growth of bacteria in tandem with regular cleaning. When bacteria get a foothold and no cleaning is taking place, they will tend to multiply over a period of time.’ 
While it had not formed part of the formal research, Microban Europe says anecdotal feedback suggests attitudes to fridge cleanliness varies.