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The forgotten food at the back of a fridge is often perfectly visible on shopping day and invisible two days later. New purchases cover it, leftovers lose their labels and a deep drawer becomes a place where vegetables disappear. Organising should make food easier to use safely, not merely easier to photograph.

Begin before a normal shop, when there is less to move. Check the appliance instructions for shelf positions and airflow. The Food Standards Agency's chilling guidance recommends a fridge temperature between 0 and 5 degrees C. Check with a fridge thermometer rather than relying on how cool a shelf feels.

Give short-life food a visible place

Set aside a small front area for suitable ready-to-eat food that needs using soon. This might hold an opened tub, a labelled leftover portion or vegetables intended for tonight. It should not become a mixed box that obscures labels or overrides storage instructions.

Keep raw meat and fish contained in their appropriate lower storage area, separate from ready-to-eat food. Do not move a leaking raw pack to the front of an upper shelf simply because its date is approaching. Visibility does not take priority over preventing contamination.

Make dates usable

Distinguish a use-by date from a best-before date and follow the label's instructions, including directions after opening. Do not rely on appearance or smell alone for food with a use-by date. A shelf labelled "eat first" cannot make food suitable once it should no longer be eaten.

For leftovers, write the contents and preparation date clearly and follow appropriate guidance for cooling, storage and reheating. "Tuesday curry" is more useful than a mystery opaque tub. If nobody knows when a leftover was made or how it was handled, do not invent a date to rescue it.

Avoid containers that hide more than they reveal

Large fridge organisers can reduce usable space and make it harder to spot spills. Use one only where it solves a real problem, such as keeping small jars from scattering. Check that it does not block vents or prevent the door closing properly.

A shallow group of condiments is easier to scan than a tall box with several layers. Leave original labels visible where they carry dates or allergens. If several people use the fridge, agree where open milk and shared leftovers belong so they do not multiply across shelves.

Turn the pre-shop check into a meal decision

Look behind the front row before writing the list. Identify two or three suitable foods that need a plan, then choose meals that actually use them. Moving a courgette to the front achieves little if the week's meals still ignore it.

Check quantities as well as dates. An unopened spare may mean you can skip buying another. Keep new purchases behind older suitable equivalents, but avoid combining different batches into one container and losing their individual storage information.

Clean the problem, not just the shelf layout

Deal with leaks promptly. For a wider clean, move food into suitable temporary storage and follow the appliance and cleaning-product instructions. Dry removable parts before replacing them, and avoid leaving chilled food out while attempting a long reorganisation.

If the fridge repeatedly becomes overfull, reduce the volume of the next shop. A useful layout needs space for a hand, readable labels and the food already there. More plastic boxes will not solve buying more chilled food than the household can realistically use.