Food must be stored to prevent cross-contamination. If raw and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are stored in a refrigerator or freezer, the following is the proper order from top to bottom:
- Ready-to-eat (RTE) food
- Whole fish (fresh or saltwater finfish, crustaceans, mollusks and other forms of aquatic life such as alligator, frog, aquatic turtle, jellyfish, sea cucumber, and sea urchin and the roe of such fish.)
- Whole meat (beef, pork, goat, lamb and wild game such as reindeer, elk, deer, antelope, rabbit, water buffalo and bison)
- Ground fish / meat
- Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, geese, guineas, ratites, or squab)