Why Reorganizing Your Fridge Is Bad for Your Health: Experts Warn About the Bridgerton-Inspired TikTok Trend

Bridgerton fans have been warned against designing their fridges in the style of the period drama series, as food safety experts say it could be bad for their health.

In the latest trend sweeping social media, “fridgescaping” has seen TikTok influencers decorate their fridges with fresh flowers, handmade photo frames, mirrors and other trinkets.

Some users have turned to the hit Netflix series for inspiration for their fridge design, filling the space with ceramic food storage dishes, wicker baskets for fruit and vegetables, and small miniature statues.

But the Food Standards Agency has warned against the new trend, saying storing food near such items could pose a health hazard.

They 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.

Refrigerators should be kept at a temperature between zero and five degrees Celsius, the watchdog says, and raw foods, including meat, should be stored covered.

Laura Mountford, a household cleaning guru with more than a million social media followers, blasted the craze, telling the Telegraph: “It’s all well and good to look good, but if it doesn’t add value to your daily life, it’s not going to have any longevity.

“You can find plenty of acrylic containers for any type of food and they are much easier to clean properly…the refrigerator is not the ideal place for a wicker basket.”

Proponents of fridgescaping claim that it serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose. Many claim that it helps them finish all of their products.

But critics have accused the trend of being a “waste of time” for the middle classes.

Shabaz Says, a social media influencer with nearly four million followers on Instagram and TikTok, posted a video in which he poked fun at refrigerator landscaping.

In the video, he joked: “Hey, you’re poor, you may not understand this, but let me show you the layout of a refrigerator.

“You don’t put ceramic swans with flowers or jewelry boxes with real jewelry inside in the refrigerator… You strive to reach that level of unemployment, but you can’t. You can’t afford to fill your refrigerator, much less decorate it.”

While some kitchen experts believe this trend will remain a largely online phenomenon, others suggest it could become more permanent with new transparent refrigerator models hitting the market.

Tanya Weller, Marketing Director, Digital Appliances at Samsung Electronics UK, said: “Fridgescaping is a fun and creative trend that allows you to organise everyday foods and decorate an area of ​​your kitchen that isn’t always visible, but with some designs it could become increasingly important.

“There’s also a practical side to organizing your food and reducing food waste… Being organized can not only look good, but it can also help you track food and plan family meals.”