When cooking an evening meal it is easy to over-estimate what you need leaving you with leftovers. The temptation is usually to store these in the fridge so they will be fit to eat the following day.
But an expert is warning that not all foods should be placed in the fridge. In fact, clinical nutritionist Jhanvi Sanghvi says if you put the wrong food in it could even become toxic.
Listing six ingredients she would not keep in the fridge she said some of these could even give someone food poisoning. Posting on Instagram she warned ‘not everything belongs in the fridge”.
In a video showing her discarding items from a refrigerator she warned: “Foods that become toxic when you refrigerate them.”
She continued: “Not Everything Belongs in the Fridge! Discover which common foods can turn toxic when chilled! ??????”
She went on to list six items which she says should not be put in the fridge – four of which she says can be harmful to health. These are:
Potato
The nutritionist explained: “Refrigeration causes starches to convert to sugars, resulting in a sweeter taste and a gritty texture. Cooking these altered potatoes at high temperatures can produce acrylamide, a potentially harmful compound.”
However Food Standards Scotland said advice on potatoes had changed. It advised: ” 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 materially increase the level of acrylamide-forming sugars.”
Onion
“Storing onions in the fridge can lead to mould growth and a mushy texture due to excess moisture, spoiled onions can cause foodborne illnesses if consumed, ” she said.
Garlic
Garlic can sprout and become rubbery when refrigerated, losing its flavour and potency, warned the nutritionist. “It may taste bitter and less appealing at the same time develops moulds and fungi which is harmful for health.”
Ginger
Jhanvi advises: “Refrigeration can cause ginger to become fibrous and dry, it loses its freshness and flavour, making it less useful in cooking.”
Banana
“Cold temperatures cause bananas to turn brown and mushy, disrupting their ripening process,” she advises.
Cooked rice
If not cooled properly before refrigeration, cooked rice can develop harmful bacteria like Bacillus cereus, she warned.”This bacteria can produce toxins that lead to food poisoning.”
She warned: “Think twice before you chill these foods!”
How to store leftovers
Food Standards Scotland has some advice to people on how to store food in the safest way. It says: ” If you have cooked food that you aren’t going to eat straight away, cool it as quickly as possible (ideally within one to two hours) and then store it in the fridge. Make sure your fridge is between 0°C and 5°C.”
It says to make sure your leftovers are safe to eat:
- don’t keep them for longer than two days
- don’t keep rice for longer than 24 hours and only reheat it once
- when reheating food, make sure it’s steaming hot all the way through
- don’t reheat food more than once
The agency added: “One of the main reasons for food waste is because people make more than they need. If you cook too much food, using leftovers is a good way to reduce the amount of food you waste and save money too, just make sure you do it safely.”