What is the proper storage order in a refrigerator?

The proper storage order in a refrigerator is crucial for preventing cross-contamination and ensuring food safety. The correct answer emphasizes that ready-to-eat foods should be stored at the top of the refrigerator to avoid contamination from raw foods that may leak or drip.

By placing ready-to-eat foods first, the risk of exposure to harmful bacteria is minimized. Following this, seafood, beef/pork, ground meat, and then poultry are arranged in descending order based on their potential to harbor and transmit foodborne pathogens. Poultry, being the most likely to contain harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, is stored at the bottom, where any potential drips will not contaminate other foods.

This hierarchy reflects best practices in food safety, ensuring that each type of food is stored in a manner that limits the chance of pathogen transfer, thereby protecting consumers from illness.