From meat juice on the shelves to not properly cling-filming open containers, Brits have ranked their biggest food storage icks – with one in two admitting they’d be put off by a colleague or friend’s poor fridge upkeep.
The study, conducted by fridge and freezer retailer AO.com, revealed the worst offending habits that would make Brits give colleagues the cold shoulder – with mouldy food in the fridge ranking as the country’s biggest ick.
Fridge-related friction appears to plague offices across the UK, as HALF of Brits admitted that poor fridge food storage habits would put them off a colleague, partner, or friend.
RANKED: The worst fridge food offences to commit at work
- Mouldy food in the fridge
- Meat juice on the shelves
- Not cling-filming open containers (like meats etc.) when storing food
- Veg juice in the bottom of the veg drawer
- Leaving fridge door open in a heatwave
- Leaving breadcrumbs in the butter
- Pet food being stored next to human food
- Not clearing out a fridge/rotating before adding in new food
- Leaving half tins of sweetcorn
- Not putting things in the right fridge container
Whilst Brits are unanimous that meat juice and mouldy food in the fridge are the most icky behaviours, it turns out that fridge etiquette is a divisive topic in many workplaces across the UK.
HR professionals ranked leaving breadcrumbs in the butter as one of their top three worst offending office food habits, whilst workers in the transport sector said storing pet food next to human food is a top three ‘sackable offence’ in the office.
Finance professionals are clearly keen to keep costs down, as leaving the fridge door open during a heatwave was listed as a top three offence for office kitchen behaviour.
Whilst healthcare professionals clearly have hygiene on their minds, as they said that not cling-filming open containers of food (such as meats and cheese) is one of the top three office kitchen behaviours that make their stomachs turn.
Commenting on the findings, Sarah Heaps, food storage expert at AO.com said:
These results highlight how cleanliness and organisation in shared spaces like the fridge can significantly impact working relationships. Simple practices like cling-filming open containers and regularly checking for mould can prevent these common ‘icks’ and maintain harmony at in the office.
Sarah Heaps, food storage expert at AO.com
In light of the findings, AO.com have launched a new refrigeration hub, jam-packed with tips and tricks on how people can properly store food at work and at home, to keep the peace. Access the free advice and guides here:https://ao.com/cooling/get-to-know.
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.
