Temperature control of food in the home is vitally important. In the past decade there have been 15 published surveys of temperatures in domestic refrigerators. The last detailed survey carried out in the UK was in 1991. Refrigerators are now fitted with lower power compressors and thicker insulation to enable them to achieve low energy consumption. Therefore there is a possibility that due to these changes, temperatures in domestic refrigerators have changed. This paper reports results from a survey of currently used domestic refrigerators and compares the results to those obtained in 1991. In addition the paper examines temperatures in domestic freezers. Although freezers pose less of a food safety risk they do contribute to poor food quality and potential waste if the food is not maintained at low enough conditions. None of the surveys published to date examines temperatures in domestic freezers.
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