Bridgerton fans have been warned not to style their fridges in the style of the period drama as food safety experts say it could be harmful to their health.
In the latest trend to sweep social media, “fridgescaping” has seen TikTok influencers adorn their fridges with fresh flowers, handmade photo frames, mirrors and other trinkets.
Some users have turned to the hit Netflix series for inspiration when designing their fridge – filling the space with ceramic plates to store food, wicker baskets containing fruit and vegetables, and tiny miniature statues.
But the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned against the new trend, saying keeping food near such items could be a health hazard.
The official watchdog also urged people not to store their food in containers that have been used for other purposes and to keep products in sealed bags or containers to avoid the risk of cross-contamination with harmful bacteria.
In the latest trend to sweep social media, “fridgescaping” has seen TikTok influencers adorn their fridges with fresh flowers, handmade photo frames, mirrors and other trinkets.
Some users have turned to Bridgerton for inspiration when designing their fridge, filling the space with ceramic plates for storing food, wicker baskets containing fruits and vegetables, and small miniature statues.
The Food Standards Agency has warned against the new trend, saying that keeping food near such items could pose a health hazard.
Refrigerators should be kept at a temperature between zero and five degrees Celsius, the FSA says, and raw foods, including meat, should be kept covered.
Laura Mountford, a home cleaning guru with more than a million followers on social media, criticised the trend, saying: The telegraphIt’s all well and good to be pretty, but if it’s not going to add value to your everyday life, it’s not going to last very long.
“There are plenty of acrylic containers available for any type of food and they are much easier to clean properly… the refrigerator is not the place for a wicker basket.”
Proponents of refrigerator design say it serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose, and many claim it helps them finish all their products.
But critics have accused the trend of being a “waste of time” characteristic of the middle classes.
Shabaz Says, a social media influencer with nearly four million followers on Instagram and TikTok, posted a video making fun of refrigerator decor.
In the video, he joked: ‘Hey, you’re poor, you may not understand this, but let me show you how to make a refrigerator.
“You’re not putting ceramic swans with flowers or jewelry boxes with real jewelry inside in the refrigerator… you’re trying hard to be at this level of unemployment, but you can’t. You can’t afford to fill your refrigerator, let alone the refrigerator.”
Proponents of refrigerator design say it serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose, and many claim it helps them finish all their products.
Critics have accused this tendency of being a “time-wasting” characteristic of the middle classes.
While some kitchen experts believe the trend will largely remain an online phenomenon, others suggest it could become more permanent with new clear refrigerator models on the market.
Tanya Weller, marketing director for digital appliances at Samsung Electronics UK, said: ‘Fridge design is a fun and creative trend that allows you to organise everyday food items and decorate an area of your kitchen that isn’t always in plain sight, but with certain models could become increasingly important.
‘Organizing your food and reducing waste also has a practical side… Being organized can not only look good, but it can help you track food and plan family meals.’
