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Pre-cooked meals should be kept covered when stored in the fridge, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has warned.
In a comment to Newstalk, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said it recommends the use of lids to prevent cross-contamination.
A series of Tweets said the stored food should be safe, provided there is no risk of cross-contamination.
Hi Fionnan. Storing batched cooked or leftover food safely will reduce the risk of possible food poisoning. By safely we mean that the food should be stored in the fridge (at between 0-5°C) or freezer (at -18°C or less) within 2 hours of cooking and used within 2-3 days. (1/2)
— FoodSafetyAuthority (@FSAIinfo) October 17, 2022
Hi Fionnan. Generally we recommend that lids are used. But if there is no risk of cross-contamination from raw foods to cooked or ready to eat foods, then it should be safe.
— FoodSafetyAuthority (@FSAIinfo) October 18, 2022
This warning landed after Tánaiste Leo Varadkar posted a picture of his fridge showing meals prepped for him by his partner. The sixteen visible lunch boxes appeared to contain a range of “high protein” meals, including sausages, eggs, ham, and pancakes.
The image has sparked light-hearted debate online, with some people questioning whether it is safe to store uncovered food in the fridge.
Today Varadkar issued an update confirming that he and his partner do, in fact, use lids when storing their weekly meal prep. He also shared a new image proving their meals also include vegetables.
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