Technically, the one rule of thumb to always follow is to keep your meat/fish/poultry items on the lowest shelf. The goal is to eliminate cross contamination if the package happens to have any sort of meat “juice” on it or if it might leak while freezing all the way.
The bottom freezer drawer for frozen fruit and vegetables – peas, sweetcorn, broccoli, oven chips, berry mixes, etc. The middle freezer drawer for frozen meat, fish and dairy products – chicken breasts, chicken nuggets, beef mince, battered fish, salmon fillets, ice cream, frozen milk, cheese, etc.
What order does food go in the freezer? Meat, poultry and fish should be stored at the bottom of the freezer. They should be kept in containers and not on the same shelf as any other non-meat items. Fruit and vegetables can be placed higher in the freezer, in sealed containers to prevent any leakages.
Cold air sinks, so it collects at the bottom and, in a fridge freezer, the bottom shelves will be coldest. But in a fridge with an ice-making compartment at the top, it will be the top. Frost-free fridges circulate the air and have much more even temperature distribution.
Use freezer-safe bins and storage containers
A great way to maximize your available space and stay organized is to use freezer bins and storage containers. Putting your items in freezer baskets and containers helps you to categorize them because it breaks your freezer into zones.
The door is the warmest part of the freezer as the temperature fluctuates every time the door is opened. It's the perfect spot for nuts, bread, whole grains, ice packs, etc., and the worst place for ice cream, raw meat, poultry, fish milk, etc.
Store ice cream in the main part of the freezer. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door, where ice cream can be subject to more fluctuating temperatures since the door is repeatedly open and shut. Keep the ice cream container lid tightly closed when storing in the freezer to reduce the formation of ice crystals.
Refrigerator Storage: Refrigerate eggs at 40°F or less. Store them in their original carton on an inside shelf and away from pungent foods. The temperature on an inside shelf remains more constant than one on the door, which is opened and closed frequently.
Even with a superior airflow system, a refrigerator or freezer will be colder at the bottom. Warm air rises, so the upper shelves will always be slightly warmer than the lower portion of the unit.
Also if you have a deep freezer, it's best to keep it in there. If you're using your refrigerator freezer, try to stick the meat in the farthest corners away from the door. The slightest change in temperature from opening and closing the door will increase the speed of freezer burn.
Middle shelf: If your freezer only has four shelves, move this stuff up to the very top; otherwise, this is a good spot for ice cream, frozen treats, and ice packs. Next shelf: Fruit and veggies go here. Line them up. Bottom shelf: Store meat and fish at the very bottom.
Bottom Shelf: Always place raw meats and fish onto bottom shelves so they don't touch other food types.
But where in the fridge matters. Milk, no matter if it's whole or skim, is best kept at around 37°F, which, depending on your fridge, usually means somewhere in the back on a lower shelf. You may need to store the milk on its side so that it fits easily. Avoid keeping milk in one of the door's shelves.
The reason a refrigerator is bad for bread: When bread is stored in a cold (but above freezing) environment, this recrystallization, and therefore staling, happens much faster than at warmer temperatures. Freezing, however, dramatically slows the process down. So that's the science in a nutshell.
A general rule, unwashed eggs will last around two weeks unrefrigerated and about three months or more in your refrigerator. If you're experiencing an egg boom, it's smart to refrigerate any unwashed fresh eggs you aren't planning to eat immediately.
According to FoodSafety.gov, when the power has been out, you should toss ice cream if it has developed ice crystals and feels cold as if refrigerated, or if the ice cream has thawed and reached a temperature above 40 degrees for more than two hours.
Freezer Temperatures
The temperature of a freezer should be set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit so everything stays very cold. A freezer should be cold enough to keep food frozen and preserve it until they are ready to be cooked or reheated.
If you don't have a chest freezer and your fridge/freezer combo appliance is your only option, store ice cream in the coldest place in the freezer: the center shelf, in the back of the compartment. Do not store ice cream in the door of a freezer (that's better for things like nuts, bread, and butter).
The Coldest Spot: The rear center is the coldest spot in a freezer. This is the place to store your ice cream maker's canister so it's thoroughly frozen and ready for the next batch of homemade ice cream!
Do not install the freezer near an oven, radiator, or other heat source, nor in a location where the temperature will fall below 40°F or exceed 110°F. Allow at least 3" (7.5 cm) of air space at the top and on both sides of the freezer and 2" (2.5 cm) between the back of the freezer and the wall.
Thawed cakes, biscuits, breads, fruits and fruit juices are okay to refreeze once if no strong 'yeasty' smell. Thawed snap frozen meat, poultry or fish is okay to refreeze if still below 4°C or transported and handled safely and spent less than 2 hours in temperature danger zone.