Overview

• Chip.de cites the Bundeszentrum für Ernährung’s estimate that Germany discards about 11 million tonnes of food each year, framing better storage as a way to reduce waste and household costs.
• Experts advise fridge zoning: keep dairy and eggs in the middle compartment, place meat and fish on the lowest shelf, and store cooked dishes and leftovers on the top shelf.
• Do not keep milk in the refrigerator door because temperature fluctuations speed spoilage, with a cooler interior spot recommended instead.
• Keep tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, eggplants, bananas, and citrus at room temperature; separate ethylene producers like apples from sensitive produce, though apples can help ripen avocados.
• Use breathable containers for bread or freeze portions, store cooking oils in a cool dark cupboard away from heat and light, keep potatoes and onions apart, and trim greens from root vegetables before refrigerating the roots in a box or damp cloth.