UK households keeping semi-skimmed milk in fridge door issued warning

Beko has cautioned that the way you organise your fridge could be shortening the shelf life of your food and drinks — especially if you store milk this way.

UK families who tuck their semi-skimmed milk into the fridge door are being urged to rethink their habits.

Appliance giant Beko is alerting consumers that such storage methods could be shortening the shelf life of their groceries, potentially hitting pockets hard.

Beko's research has disclosed that households in the UK chuck away around £250 worth of grub per head annually. For a household of four, this loss soars to £1,000 - and incorrectly storing perishables could be to blame for their premature spoilage, reports Birmingham Live.

Scores of British families are renowned for putting their milk into the fridge door, with seemingly perfectly-fitting shelves installed for such large bottles. But according to a Beko boss, this isn't right - and there's a more optimising place to keep your milk, to ensure it doesn't go off too quickly.

Salah Sun, the Head of Product Management at Beko, said: "The way we organise our fridges can make or break our efforts to reduce food waste. Most people don't realise that poor fridge organisation isn't just about aesthetics – it directly impacts food longevity and your household budget."

So, where should milk be kept?

Sun conveyed the importance of understanding your fridge's climate: "Temperature fluctuates within your fridge, so storing items in the right zones is crucial. The bottom shelf, being the coldest, is perfect for raw meats, while the middle shelves maintain ideal conditions for dairy and prepared foods."

He further added: "The door, often used for milk, is actually the warmest area due to frequent opening." With this in mind, Beko suggests: "We recommend keeping more stable items like condiments and drinks in the door compartments, moving milk to the middle shelf where temperatures remain more constant."

By arranging your fridge smartly, not only do you cut down on waste, but you might also find yourself cooking more meals at home and opting for healthier options, as per Beko's advice.

The brand highlighted the importance of good storage by pointing out: "Plus, maintaining optimal storage conditions means your fresh produce lasts longer, reducing both waste and shopping frequency."

Ecover shed light on the sobering statistics behind plastic recycling with their statement: "In 2016, less than half of all plastic bottles were collected for recycling and only 7 per cent of those were turned into new bottles."

Ecover didn't mince words about the dire consequences of plastic pollution, saying: "The resulting impact on waterways and marine life is, to put it bluntly, horrifying – with an estimated 12.7 million tonnes ending up in oceans each year."