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

Deceptive: The contents of fridges may look appetising, but some contain harmful levels of bacteria

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, they 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 swabs 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.  

Mr McDonnell said: ‘Some fridge owners regularly take all the food out of their fridge, wipe down the interior, and clean the salad drawers separately. However, some are effectively never cleaned, and that is probably where the problems occur.’ 

Danger: If fridges aren't cleaned regularly colonies of germs such as E.coli can build up

Microban Europe's antibacterial protection was designed to be built by manufacturers into components such as the plastic parts used in fridges and was proven to kill the majority of bacteria that settled on a surface within 24 hours. 

Appliance manufacturers using this technology include Whirlpool, who utilise a Microban air filter component built into several of their fridge ranges and is designed to minimise odours and the potential for bacteria.  

Mr McDonnell said: ‘We licence our antibacterial protection for use in all kinds of applications - from paint to towels and from tiles to vacuum cleaners. Our built-in technology helps to minimise the growth of odour-causing microbes and harmful bacteria.’