Besides Eggs, These Foods Should Not Be Stored at the Door of the Refrigerator

JAKARTA - Many people keep eggs in the door of the refrigerator. In fact, it is not recommended. In addition to eggs, there are also other foods that are not recommended to be stored in the refrigerator door, namely butter.

If you store butter for a short period of time, then it's okay to put it on the door of the refrigerator. Only, if you store the butter for a long time or more than a week, then it's best to put it in an area other than the refrigerator door.

"The small, covered shelf was originally designed to (store) butter that was quickly used up, within about a week," said nutritionist Kathleen Benson, quoted from Reader's Digest, on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

Storing butter on the refrigerator door is not recommended due to the problem of temperature fluctuations. When the refrigerator is opened, warm air will enter and the door shelf is the first area that will be exposed to the warm air.

"This repeated heating and cooling can make butter soften and harden repeatedly, which accelerates spoilage and bitterness," he said.

These temperature changes can make butter taste more sour, stale, or change its texture to be coarser. If used for food additives, it can spoil the taste and interfere with body health.

Compared to putting it on the refrigerator door, it is recommended to store butter on the middle or upper shelf of the refrigerator. This area can maintain a cooler and stable temperature, as well as help protect butter from light exposure that can oxidize fat and change the taste.

"Storing it in a tightly sealed container also prevents butter from absorbing the smell of the surrounding food," he said.

Unsalted butter will generally remain fresh in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to three months. Meanwhile, salted butter will usually remain fresh for up to five months if placed in the right area of the refrigerator.