Bridgerton fans have been warned not to design their fridges in the style of the period drama, as food safety experts say it could be bad for their health.
The latest social media trend, “fridgescaping,” sees TikTok influencers decorating their fridges with fresh flowers, homemade photo frames, mirrors and other trinkets.
Some users are taking inspiration from the popular Netflix series for their refrigerator design, filling the space with ceramic bowls to store food, wicker baskets with fruits and vegetables, and small model figurines.
However, the Foods Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a warning against this new craze, saying that storing food alongside such items could pose a health risk.
The official watchdog also urged people not to store their food in containers that have been used for other purposes, and advised keeping products in sealed bags or containers to avoid the risk of cross-contamination with harmful bacteria.
In the latest trend sweeping social media, “fridgescaping,” TikTok influencers have been decorating their fridges with fresh flowers, handmade photo frames, mirrors and other trinkets
Some users have used Bridgerton as inspiration for their fridge design, filling the space with ceramic bowls to store food, wicker baskets with fruits and vegetables, and small model figurines.
The Foods Standards Agency has warned against this new craze, saying that storing food next to such items could pose a health risk.
According to the FSA, refrigerators should be kept at temperatures between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius and raw foods, such as meat, should be kept covered.
Laura Mountford, a cleaning guru with over a million followers on social media, criticized the craze, saying the Telegraph: ‘It’s all well and good to be pretty, but if it doesn’t add value to your daily life, it won’t last long.
“You can buy so many acrylic containers for every type of food and they are much easier to clean… the fridge is not a place for a wicker basket.”
Proponents of froishscaping say it serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose, with many claiming it helps them eat all their produce.
Critics accuse this trend of being a “time-wasting” trait of the middle class.
Shabaz Says, a social media influencer with nearly four million followers on Instagram and TikTok, posted a video mocking fridgescaping.
In the video he joked, “Hey, you’re poor, you may not understand this, but I’m going to show you how to organize a refrigerator.
“You’re not going to put ceramic swans with flowers in them or jewelry boxes with real jewelry in them in your refrigerator… you’re striving to get to this level of unemployment, but you can’t. You can’t afford to stock your refrigerator, let alone fridgescape.”
Proponents of refrigerator scaping say it serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose. Many claim it helps them use up all of their produce.
Critics have accused the trend of being a “time-wasting” trait of the middle class
Some kitchen experts believe the trend will remain mainly online, but others think it could become a permanent phenomenon with the arrival of new models of transparent refrigerators on the market.
Tanya Weller, marketing director for digital appliances at Samsung Electronics UK, said: ‘Fridgescaping is a fun, creative trend that allows you to organise everyday food items and decorate an area of your kitchen that isn’t always in view, but with certain models it could become increasingly important.
‘There is also a practical side to organising your food and reducing food waste… Being organised not only looks good, but it can also help you keep track of what you are eating and plan meals for the family.’
