Here’s why you should never put hot food in the refrigerator

Why are we always told not to put food in the refrigerator while it's still hot?

Putting hot food in the ref might seem harmless, but this actually puts other food and the appliance itself at risk.

"Putting something hot can damage your refrigerator. Even if it isn't boiling hot, it can increase the temperature inside," food safety and hygiene consultant Glenn Hyde dela Cruz explained on "Unang Hirit."

"Microbes tend to spread a lot faster at a temperature below 5 degrees Celsius. So it's true what they say that it's better to let food cool down before putting it in the refrigerator," he added.

Dela Cruz also reminded viewers to double-check if their containers were clean, and be careful about trying to come up with other methods of cooling food.

"For example, wind from an electric fan can carry dust and other microbes directly to your food," he said. – Margaret Claire Layug/RC, GMA News