As a restaurant owner, your business is dependent on proper food storage. If food spoils too early, it can lead to inventory loss, unhappy customers, and higher expenses. According to the professionals at Van Ernst Refrigeration, it’s important to learn where to place items in your walk-in cooler to keep them safe from bacteria. Serving residents throughout East Rochester, NY, the premier refrigeration supply company provides a wide range of commercial equipment, including walk-in coolers and freezers, as well as maintenance and repair services.

Below, they share a few tips for properly storing food in your walk-in cooler:

• Place Raw Meat Below Ready-to-Serve Food: Because raw meats such as beef, poultry, and fish, are easily susceptible to bacteria growth, it’s important to keep them separate from ready to serve food. You can do this by placing it on the shelf below to help prevent contamination.
• Do Not Overfill the Cooler: Putting too much food in your walk-in cooler can make it difficult for your unit to maintain a steady temperature. The harder it works, the more likely it is for your cooler to suffer a breakdown, which will quickly spoil the food.
• Store Only Appropriate Food Items: Save space by storing only food items that need to be refrigerated. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, and other fruits and legumes, should be kept at room temperature. Once you cut them open, they can then be refrigerated to prevent spoiling.

If you’re looking to schedule repair or maintenance services for your walk-in cooler or freezer, you can count on the team at Van Ernst Refrigeration. They also offer installations and refrigeration retrofits. Call (585) 586-6780 to schedule an appointment with a technician or visit their website for more information on their services.