Placing hot food directly into the refrigerator can cause surrounding food items to spoil, warned Yelena Spitsenko, head of the Food Safety Competence Center at the Russian Food Safety Center.
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According to Spitsenko, placing a hot pot inside a refrigerator causes the internal temperature to spike sharply. This is particularly critical in older, single-compressor refrigerators that struggle to offset the accumulated heat, creating an ideal environment for bacterial growth on adjacent shelves.
"The main danger of putting hot food in the fridge isn't to the dish itself, but to the other items on the shelves," Spitsenko stated. "A temperature rise of even a few degrees accelerates bacterial growth on milk and cold cuts. Placing hot soup in the fridge could cause the milk on the neighboring shelf to spoil well before its expiration date."
She added that hot food releases steam that condenses on the refrigerator's walls and nearby items, leading to excessive moisture. Condensation creates a prime breeding ground for mold and bacteria; if water droplets or ice build up on the walls faster than usual, hot food is often the culprit.
"Many people complain about mold in their refrigerators without knowing its source," she noted. "It is frequently caused by constant temperature fluctuations and moisture generated by hot cookware. Mold not only spoils food, but its spores can also trigger allergic reactions."
To properly cool food, Spitsenko recommends allowing cooked dishes to cool down to room temperature first. This process typically takes about two hours, after which the food can safely be placed in the refrigerator.
