The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is telling consumers to “keep it cool,” by checking refrigerator temperature to keep bacteria away, as part of a national campaign to spread the word about ways to reduce cases of foodborne illness.

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“Educating consumers about safe refrigerator temperatures will help continue the decline we have witnessed in illnesses caused by Listeria, and better protect public health,” said USDA acting under secretary for food safety Dr Merle Pierson.


The refrigerator temperature should be at 40 degrees F. or below, FSIS said. Recent studies show that the risk of listeriosis, caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, could be reduced by two-thirds if foods are chilled to a safe temperature.


Most people assume that the internal refrigerator temperature control dial is good enough. Only 30% of consumers have heard that they should use a separate tool (a refrigerator thermometer) to check the temperature and only 20% of consumers say they actually use one, according to a recent national study.


The increased focus on refrigerator temperature grew out of response to the revised Listeria monocytogenes Risk Assessment released in 2003 by USDA and the Food and Drug Administration. The Risk Assessment showed that raising awareness of proper refrigeration temperatures could be highly effective in reducing foodborne illness.

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Using a separate appliance or refrigerator thermometer is especially critical during power outages. Checking the temperature is the only way to determine if the refrigerator stayed cold enough to keep foods safe to eat or if they need to be discarded, FSIS said.