Tips for Proper Storage

Most food spoils because it is stored incorrectly or forgotten. By following a few simple tips for proper storage, you can make a significant contribution to sustainably reducing food waste.

Storage tip

Opened products should always be used up quickly. To extend their shelf life, it helps to cover them well. Ideally, transfer them into sealed containers.

Additional tip: Cleanliness pays off! Regularly cleaning the refrigerator and other cupboards for dry goods helps prevent pests that can quickly make stored food inedible.

Refrigerator tip

The different temperature zones in the refrigerator help keep various foods fresh for longer. As a rule: it is coldest at the bottom - temperature increases toward the top. The refrigerator door is the warmest area.

Therefore:

1. Top: cooked food
2. Middle: cheese and dairy products
3. Bottom: meat and fish
4. Vegetable drawer: cold-tolerant fruit and vegetables
5. Door: eggs, drinks

Freezer tip

Freezing is a good way to keep food - also fruit and vegetables - fresh.

Keep in mind: do not interrupt the cold chain for frozen products.
The fresher the food when frozen, the longer it will last.
Airtight packaging protects against loss of flavor and drying out.
Once thawed, food can be refrozen if thawed slowly and refrozen quickly to avoid quality loss.

Fruit and vegetable tip

Local fruit prefers cooler storage, while exotic fruit keeps longer at room temperature. Most vegetables - except tomatoes, eggplants, pumpkins, and potatoes - keep better when stored cool.

Bread and pastry tip

First decide whether you will eat bread or pastries quickly or store them longer.

Fresh bread and pastries need air to stay crispy. If consumed soon, store them in paper or breathable plastic.
For longer storage, bread boxes or clay containers are better. The crust may soften, but the bread stays fresh longer.

Best-before date

Many people mistakenly think the best-before date is a “throw-away date.” In fact, it guarantees that taste, smell, color, texture, and nutritional value remain unchanged until that date if stored properly and unopened.

After this date, food is usually still good. Use your senses: look, smell, taste. If it looks, smells, and tastes fine, it can still be eaten.

Once opened, the best-before date no longer applies, as oxygen, moisture, and microorganisms can cause spoilage.

For highly perishable foods such as meat and fish, always follow the use-by date, as there is a risk of food poisoning. Proper storage is especially important to avoid having to throw them away.