Associate Professor Helen Oh, a senior consultant in infectious disease at Changi General Hospital, said that food stored in the fridge must be covered with lids, aluminium foil or plastic wrap and not kept in open containers.

Raw food: "Store raw food at the bottom of the fridge to avoid juices dripping onto and contaminating other food," she said.

Cooked food: This should be cooled before storage because hot food may increase the internal temperature of the fridge which can cause bacteria to grow.

Vegetables: These should be washed properly to remove any soil before they are stored as soil can contain germs. The vegetables should be kept in plastic bags in the vegetable compartment.

Fruits: These should be separated from vegetables. Ethylene gas that fruits release when they ripen can reduce the storage life of vegetables causing them to become more susceptible to microorganisms.

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times.