‘Can’t be trusted’: Food safety expert cautions against using hotel room item

There are certain amenities we’ve come to expect even in the most basic hotel rooms – like a kettle, safe, and a mini fridge.

But while the latter might be fine to keep a bottle of water chilled, it turns out that the fridge is not really suitable for much else.

Some travellers rely on the fridge in their room while staying in a hotel.

It can be really handy to store snacks, dinner leftovers, milk for toddlers, and even medication that needs to be kept at a certain temperature.

But experts warn you should think twice before relying on it.

Deon Mahoney, a scientific advisor at the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology told nine.com.au that hotel mini fridges “cannot be trusted to keep food cold or to chill food quickly”, an issue that’s often “overlooked”.

As they’re designed just to keep drinks cold, “they often prioritise quiet operation and low power consumption over maintaining a consistently cold temperature”.

Deon explained all perishable food (including dinner leftovers and anything you’ve pilfered from the hotel buffet) needs to be stored outside the ‘danger zone’. This means food should be kept cold at 1 to 5 degrees or hot at above 60 degrees.

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“The danger zone (5-60 degrees) is where spoilage and pathogenic bacteria can grow quickly and render a food either spoiled or unsafe. In Australia, if food is stored between 5-60 degrees for more than four hours it should be discarded.”

Meat, dairy, cooked food, seafood, and reconstituted infant formula must be kept below 5 degrees. Above 5 degrees, bacteria can multiply rapidly, said Deon.

Deon pointed out that unlike your fridge at home, hotel fridges can also be compromised by a number of factors.

There could be power interruptions if the room power is linked to key-card systems or the hotel has energy-saving controls. Smaller fridges also have poorer air circulation, and also take longer to return to a cool temperature after the door has been opened.

How to keep food safe in a hotel mini fridge

Deon said it’s best to avoid storing food in your hotel mini fridge. If you have to:

• Store perishables in the middle or back of the fridge, near the freezer section
• Don’t overload the mini fridge
• Consider using an insulated cooler with ice packs for sensitive foods or medications that require refrigeration

Some hotels may also be able to put a dedicated fridge in your room if you need it for medication or baby feeding reasons. Just ask them ahead of time.

When in doubt, throw out those leftovers. It’s just not worth being sick on holiday!