Does milk make you sick? Where you store it in the fridge matters: ‘Bacteria can grow’

Holy cow, maybe you’ve been storing your milk wrong – because it shouldn’t be on your fridge door.

According to experts, milk, it turns out, should never be kept in that convenient place, as it does not stay cold enough to prevent spoilage.

“Every time you open the door, it leaves the contents inside exposed to the warm temperatures within the surrounding room,” claimed one Chowhound contributor.

“And if it still doesn’t somehow stay consistently between 32 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit, the warmth and temperature fluctuation fosters an environment where bacteria can grow.”

The best place to store milk, they claim, is on the bottom shelves of the refrigerator as far as possible.

“The heat rises, meaning the lower the milk is kept, the cooler it will stay,” Chowhound reported.

Signs of bad milk include changes in color, curds, crusting, or odor—not to mention a taste that will make your stomach churn.

“Always keep a check on how cold your milk is to drink or touch,” food safety officer Theresa Keane previously told Metro. “The container of milk must be very cold to hold. Then buy only the amount of milk you know you will use relatively quickly. Buy small and often.”

Other pitfalls of refrigerated storage include cross-contamination, caused by storing raw meat alongside ready-to-eat items.

“Raw foods such as raw meat and fish should be stored at the bottom of the refrigerator in covered containers to avoid biological cross-contamination and blood dripping,” Keane said.

“Raw vegetables that may still have soil attached should be washed dry and also kept in a covered container and always above raw meat and fish. Generally putting loose foods in lidded containers is a good idea and extends shelf life.

Meanwhile, placing too much food in the refrigerator can also lead to inadequate cold air flow, causing the food to expire much faster.

“Overloading is very dangerous as a combination of hazards such as allergens and biological elements can occur,” Keane warned. “Even physical hazards like pieces of plastic can get into other food if your fridge is bloated.”