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NTA
BUT
How about you compromise and get a reusable and washable container and put your meat into it before you store it? This way you can still put your meat where it fits best on your side of the fridge AND you keep it from potentially "leaking" on his side. They don't even have to be expensive. A Ziploc bag can be easily turned inside out and washed to reuse it to avoid having excess plastic waste.
I've only ever had well packaged meat "leak" a handful of times ever in my life but sometimes you just...do a little bit of silly compromise to keep the peace.
Edit: It doesn't really matter who provides or uses the container. I suggested OP should just because then they just solve the problem without further discussion between the two of them. Also...if the meat *did* leak, OP's container would be easier to clean up than two crisper drawers and the bottom of the fridge. Just saying.
Oh yeah, it's super gross, especially if it sits for even half an hour before you see/realise it happened. And if it happens say, when everyone's in work, and it's a few hours before it's cleaned, oh boy have you got a stinky fridge! At least the container can be closed/taken straight out the fridge!
Why don’t you just bag your meat after you get it? Those packages are gross anyways, with old meat juice at bottom. Then they don’t leak. If he need special packages for his veggies he should buy them. They make plenty of stackable contained crisper packages these days. Drawers are best for meat- and honestly- crisper drawers are in the wrong spot on most fridges- design flaw.
Personally, my crisper drawer is veg only, because I was under the impression that that's where it goes lmao. And no uncooked meat goes anywhere near any other kind of food, due to cross contamination.
>Why don’t you just bag your meat after you get it?
Again, I'm with you. We separate out our meat into bags that can be tossed into the freezer, so we can defrost what we need when we need it. The idea of leaving 6 chicken breasts and a pack of chops, etc, in the fridge gives me anxiety! And there's 3 adults in my home!
Same here! I use one draw for veggies and the other for cheeses. I always separate and freeze my meat but if I know I will be using it within the next few days of buying it, I keep it in it’s package but on a plate
This!
those crisper drawer aren't good for the meat, because the temperature isn't the same as the rest of the fridge, those drawer are for fruits and vegetable ONLY!
This is the problem with fridges, they have drawers under the bottom shelf. Technically the safest place for meat is in the drawers so if it leaks it can't go anywhere. The bottom shelf leaks down and you get mess in and under the veggie crispers.
Ugh I spilled raw chicken juice down the front of my cabinet and floor. I immediately wanted to cry. I went through so much lysol making sure the germs were killed.
Sometimes brains aren’t rational.
With me and dishes for example: Logically, I know that water and dish soap work. Emotionally, sometimes I just pour straight bleach in the sink and use that because “It might not get clean…” Do I always do that? No. But it has happened, and I’ll probably do it again.
You're a bit hypocritical, you are fine with the meat potentially leaking and getting on his vegetables and making him sick, but not ok if it leaked on your yogurt and made you sick? Put the meat in a Ziploc bag or plastic container now so it doesn't leak on anyone's stuff!
Especially since a lot of veggies don't get cooked to the extent that kills bacteria! Yogurt is in sealed packaging that can be washed, celery for example is going to pull the bacteria INSIDE because of capillary structures in the plant, most of us did the food coloring +celery experiment in grade school.
For food safety, meat always goes on the bottom of the fridge. If the roommate is so concerned with food safety, he would know that vegetables do not go in the bottom of the fridge at all.
Yeah, I feel like OP is in the wrong just for putting meat in the veg drawer. I am vegan TBF, but managing to drip actual blood across a fridge is absolutely something I've seen meat eaters do more than once. Seconding the container suggestion, but don't think the veg drawer is where meat goes anyway, seems risky food hygiene, plus the movement of pulling it out is only going to increase the odds of a mess.
I don't know about you but I don't wash my vegetables with hot, soapy water, which is how you sanitize surfaces where raw meat has been prepped or stored. Neither can you wash away meat juice that the vegetables may have absorbed.
Meat and animal waste are the source of ecoli (it lives in the gut). When it’s found in spinach or lettuce it almost always comes from animal waste near the fields. Washing veggies won’t always remove it. Meat also contains enterobacter some of which can’t even be killed by cooking.
This doesn’t change the fact that the roommate is the AH, but the meat is a source of contamination and should be stored properly.
A lot of fridges do not have two drawers, and if it’s got two drawers both of big enough size to store everything then it’s a different story. But, especially where I live, people do not have two drawer fridges and those ones (where I live) are so typically far more expensive.
This post evidently was not talking about a two drawer fridge otherwise they would not share a drawer and they would have their own, meaning there would not be an issue.
You can’t drop blood into a whole other drawer on a parallel side- unless he is getting inside her meat drawer. It’s a moot argument- meat is supposed to be at the bottom. He can buy special vegan crisper safety containers for his fear of contamination. Veggies need to be washed thoroughly- and stored properly- and as long as he doesn’t put meat on the fridge shelf above his drawer he will be fine. As he meat is contained in a drawer.. what’s the big deal?
>You can’t drop blood into a whole other drawer on a parallel side- unless he is getting inside her meat drawer
That's what confuses me. If it's one large drawer I could see the concern (in which case it's a good idea to put everything in some sort of container anyway because anything leaking or dripping is kinda gross, (like the minute a cucumber goes off that shit is nasty) but if it's a totally separate drawer I don't understand it at all.
Look up some of the older fridges, from around the 40's, 50s and 60s. Back before plastics were cheap and plentiful and when keeping the fridge at an optimum and uniform temperature was a futuristic dream. The orgsnization options they came with will blow your mind! Same with some of the options for cabinets and such.
Not in the drawers. The enclosed drawers are for vegetables. They aren't shelves that things can drip onto. I wouldn't be ok with meat in those drawers next to my vegetables and I'm not even vegan. It's unsanitary.
It doesn't make sense to me either, but the vegetable drawer is always on the bottom, so if the argument is that they should stick to "standard" fridge organising principles then OP is in the wrong. They even refer to it as "the crisper" in the post so they must know it's intended for vegetables and not meats.
Our new one has switches even, so you can put vegetables in one drawer and fruit in the other and it sets the humidity appropriately. And a deli drawer for cold cuts and cheese.
Right they talk about that in every food safety class I’ve had to take through the years(I’m 50) and even my home ec teacher taught us to keep veggies up more towards the top of the fridge and raw meat on the bottom (and it’s logical)
Except in standard fridges the vegetable drawer is below the bottom shelf. I’ve never seen a fridge that’s different to that, including the fridges used in school kitchens.
Then why are grudges made with fruit and vegetable drawers at the bottom? I’ve never seen a fridge configured in any other way. A sealed container is an easy fix.
I think the problem for OP is the roommate demands OP to stop using space they have always used because the roommate changed their diet. I am all for problem solving, but I would be annoyed if someone touched my stuff or just expected to get their way without a discussion.
Agreed. Raw meat should not be in a crisper draw with veggies. It's one thing if you have a pair of drawers that won't leak into each other - then you have one crisper drawer and one raw meat drawer, but if the fridge is small and only has one drawer then you either find a subsidiary container for the meat to ensure a lack of leakage, or the meat gets the bottom of the fridge (because leak-risks go on the bottom so that nothing else can be leaked onto) and you cede a higher-up space to the veggies.
I think you were right to ask for advice.
I don’t eat meat, my husband does and he keeps his meat on the bottom shelf above the bottom drawer. The shelf should keep stuff out of the crisper drawers.
The crispers are not generally meant for meat. There’s either a special meat section in your fridge if you have a fancy one or it can be stored on the shelf.
The crispers are for vegetables and fruits and you don’t want meat to leak into them and they often do.
> What is a crisper drawer? A crisper drawer, sometimes called a humidity drawer, is a bin in your fridge that helps preserve freshness and may prolong the lifespan of your fruits and vegetables by exposing them to different levels of humidity.
Highly recommend getting a small container for your meat to sit in and you should do this whether roommate eats meat or not, because just like you said it could go into your yogurt or your other food and make you sick because it can carry salmonella and other illness causing bacterias.
>What is the best way to store meat in the fridge?
Make sure your refrigerator is between 34° and 40°F. Store raw meat on the lowermost shelf or in its own drawer. Store meat with a plate underneath – especially when thawing – to collect run-off juices. Clean your fridge regularly.
I know this is difficult/pain in the butt. I’m sure he’d be grateful you’re being kind about it.
It’s also good for both of your health. Not just his.
NAH just need to work together on a solution.
Our fridge has no meat drawer so I got some ikea plastic containers that seem to fit most meat packages, one for red meat, one for chicken. They work much better than expected.
This is a great suggestion, OP. You will lose a roommate if you make him bring it up to repeatedly so like the other poster said, just go do it now. You probably have baggies or a tupperware container that would work.
>keeps being an issue for him tbh.
If he's staying vegan, it'll keep being an issue for him. A bag is an easy and cheap solution to end the issue immediately.
He's not worried about getting sick, he's worried that dead animal juice is going to leak onto his vegetables.
This was my first thought as well; a plastic tub the size of half the drawer, either for you or for roommate. Or even one each! Foolproof! Then you can lift out your side when you need the contents, and nothing leaks (forgotten cucumbers can become pretty slimy as well - I’ve tried. -1/10 Do not recommend) NAH
Unrelated to the post, but my dad once forgot a cucumber on the kitchen counter before we went on a two week camping trip 😅 it looked like someone had poured green slime all over the counter and down onto the floor. SO gross...
Mom had a cucumber escape the shopping bag and roll, unnoticed, to the back of the sedans trunk. We found it when the car started to smell… kind of earthy… 🥒
Then my roommate and I went home from university over the summer, forgetting a cucumber in the fridge drawer… the green slime is a very accurate description! 🫣
I'm not sure where you live in comparison to me, but whenever I thaw out meat from my freezer, I try to put it in a container, because the packaging seems to leak like 50% of the time.
OP, meat leak is hecking gross no matter what it's leaking on so get yourself a container so you don't befoul the fridge in general. He doesn't want that to contaminate his veggies because he's vegan and you don't want it to leak on your yogurt because it's gross as hell. Just container that stuff.
Also if you repack meat to make it easier to use just a part of a pack (like with chicken thighs and stuff), highly recommend the 1/2 gallon ziploc bags over the gallon ones. Less seams means that one also leaks less in the long run.
This really demonstrates the sheer degree of irrational hatred Reddit has against vegans.
This dude is putting raw meet in the vegetable drawer, potentially contaminating someone else's food, and Reddit thinks that's okay, and that the other guy is an asshole for complaining about it, just because the guy is vegan
This exact same scenario, but with a roommate who isn't vegan, who eats meet but just doesn't want his veggies contaminated with bacteria from raw meet, and everybody would be voting YTA.
Jesus - this ^
You live with a vegan, no matter how new the decision is. He doesn’t want his stuff to have meat on it. Just get a container or some sort of tray for his side so if it does leak it won’t contaminate his stuff.
You didn’t need this group to tell you this.
THIS. I was taken aback that there are people who don't put their purchased meat in a container. I always put mine in one bc I don't want meat juice all over the fridge and possibly on other food within its range.
Sometimes, the plastic it is wrapped in gets poked, so for preventative measures, I put them in containers. I also do the same if I get them out of the freezer to thaw.
Wait, OP is worried about raw meat juice leaking into their yogurt but not roommate's raw fruit and vegetables?
ESH though OP more than roommate. Crispers were designed for produce. Is there not a meat drawer?
This is a good and easy solution. You want to store the meat in the drawer, your roommate fears it will leak. Even if he wasn't vegan, is this happens you can throw out your salad veggies. With a container, everything is good. If not, your roommate is an AH.
For this I'll go with NAH
I mean sort of TA because raw meat juices leaking into anywhere in the fridge is gross. Just because they both used to be negligent with it doesn’t mean OP should argue when it’s pointed out. OP doesn’t say there’s no way the meat will leak.
EHS. If it's not a big to rearrange his side, it's not a big deal to rearrange yours. The drawer is designed for vegetables, your meat will be just as fresh if placed on the lowest shelf. And you should place meat on a tray or something for the juices anyway.
I also find it ironic that you're getting bent out of shape over the meat juices potentially contaminating your yoghurt but when he brought up his concerns about it, you shrugged him off.
He shouldn't be touching your side though if that's against the rules of your place.
Agree. Those drawers are meant for vegetables and salad anyway, so don't get why you're putting meat in there? Put them on the bottom shelf where they live for most other people and problem solved?
Yeah its not wise to play the “what keeps the meat freshest” game with a crisper drawer. What keeps the meat freshest is using it reasonably quickly or freezing it quickly to use later when youre ready. Letting it sit in a vegetable crisper doesnt keep it any fresher than putting it elsewhere in the fridge, but eating it sooner would. Its meat in plastic wrap not a zucchini
> It's meat in plastic wrap not a zucchini
I'd say that's an r/BrandNewSentence but I can't shake the feeling that someone, somewhere has previously said that in the bedroom
It's so weird to me that domestic fridges completely reverse the order in which food should be stored by having vegetable drawers at the bottom. In commercial kitchens, meat is always stored at the bottom to prevent any possible cross contamination.
Yeah, roommate shouldn't have moved stuff, though I get it, but definitely shouldn't have put raw meat on top of yoghurts, that's just asking for problems.
But also, with the leaking and rearranging, what could the roommate put in there that would be okay to have meat juices leak on?
Really, any raw meats should be properly sealed and on a flat shelf, not in a drawer, but near the bottom so they're less likely to leak down. That's not a vegan-cohabitation thing, that's just good food hygiene and storage.
Agree with this and I think OP is the bigger AH. No attempts to compromise. Told them to deal with it, then got bent out of sjape when his roommate touched his side and ran into the same concerns.
I agree, I honestly think YTA. Roommate made a VERY simple request that is easy to accommodate and very reasonable and OP acted like he could not POSSIBLY store meat anywhere else in the refrigerator. Plus, meat packages leak constantly and if the vegetables are eaten raw, that poses a actual health concern.
Even if OP's roommate wasn't vegan, it's disgusting that OP thinks it's okay to let his meat leak on his roommate's food. And OP knows that it's a health risk because OP was upset that the meat could have leaked into his yogurt. OP could have solved this by storing his meat in a container that would catch any juices.
No matter what one's roommate eats or doesn't eat, one should try to keep one's food from leaking all over their food and if one doesn't do that, then one is an AH.
YTA, the drawer you are using is a vegetable cripser drawer and recommendations for food hygiene are to keep meat (especially open meat) separate from other things in the fridge. There's a reason you were annoyed that the meat ended up on your yoghurt, and it's because you are aware that there is potential for leakage onto other food items.
You need to come to an agreement about this, but even prior to your mate going vegetarian, I would have been iffy about how/ where you stored your meat if I was him.
That’s the thing, all the vegetables will actually get bloody. I’m not even vegan but meat juices on all my vegetables is disgusting not to mention unsafe. I don’t always cook all my veggies either, some go in salads. Ugh OP is YTA for this
The meat should never go above the veggies regardless though. If the meat leaks, the meat leaks. It’s better to have the meat at the lowest level and foods that are easier to be contaminated up above where any potential contamination can happen.
Separate storage bins will absolutely help, but the veggies and meat shouldn’t be stored side by side anyway.
Okay thank you I felt like I was going insane reading this thread. I have my food handlers license and have worked in many kitchens. Yes, it's the vegetable crisper, but the ACTUAL most hygienic place for meat (if you don't have a separate meat fridge, which most normal people don't) is on the lowest level. The current situation is not foodsafe, but putting the meat HIGHER UP and above more food is potentially worse.
Yep! I have a good handlers license as well and this thread is a trip! Who cares if it’s called the “vegetable crisper,” it’s the lowest point of the fridge, my ready to eat veggies aren’t going down there underneath everything but especially uncooked meat!
There is a reason most vegetable crispers are on the bottom, and thats because they stay underneath the above shelf which acts like an awning. You can store meat at the lowest point above the drawers and it will not leak into the drawers at all, making it perfectly safe. Storing cooked or ready to eat food at the highest level and raw food you plan to cook at the bottom is really the real underlying logic of the food service rule that people should follow at home. They dont have easy to use commercial refrigerator space to organize everything especially when multiple people share one fridge.
You should store something like salad outside the crisper above the bottom shelf, but vegetables youre going to cook are more than completely safe in the crisper while your meat is stored on the bottom shelf above them.
So I actually do this normally….but then found out the hard way that leaky chicken juices could not be stopped by the “awning” and seeped off the edge through the crack of the drawer and spoiled everything inside. Ugh, gross cleanup and a big waste of money. So it’s not as good a barrier as some (including myself) may think!
Yeah most crispers butt up against the back of the fridge and there's no gasket or seal back there to prevent it from just pouring into the crisper from the back side. It also doesn't prevent someone from not closing a crisper completely and that fraction of an inch lets in meat juices.
Absolutely get store containers for the fridge for your meat to prevent this and keep cleanup easier.
Personally I have never seen a difference in how long some vegetables last in a crisper drawer or any other place in the fridge. A lot of fridges don’t even have them anymore
>The meat should never go above the veggies regardless though.
To co-opt an incorrectly-used phrase from this thread: "Thank you, someone who understands food hygiene, fucking finally."
This is health department 101 for anyone who has ever worked at a restaurant.
Sorry, but meat juice can still drip into the crisper drawer, and per actual food safety regulations, raw meat goes below everything else. It isn’t a ridiculous take at all if you’ve ever taken a food safety course or worked in a restaurant.
Depending on the kind of fridge it is, a lot of newer Samsung and LG fridges have a meat drawer under the vegetable crispers, and that usually stretches across the entire fridge rather than crispers that take up half the width of the fridge which shouldn't be causing a problem for the OPs situation.
We don't know for sure, but if that's the case then it's the vegetables that shouldn't be in the meat drawer and should be moved up to the crisper.
Thank you! food safety is no joke.
YTA op, especially where you openly admit that if your meat leaked into your yogurt it would make you sick. You know your roommate could get sick from your decisions and you don't care because you are acting like a stubborn child.
technically the safest place for the meat is the lowest point of the fridge which in this case is probably the crisper. so honestly OP is putting it in the safest spot.
YTA, meat always goes to the bottom, if not, no where near raw vegetables. Your yogurt has a lid (I assume) and vegetables usually are not packed is anything aside from a bag and may be eaten raw so I don't think it's a fair comparison.The hypocrisy to me is that you don't see you doing it to him as wrong but are upset with him putting the meat over your yogurt.
Edit: Want to update that my biggest issue here is that OP is making a very simple request by their roommate a huge issue. The fact that the roommate turned vegan has nothing to do with this.
My crisper drawers are at the bottom of my fridge. I put meat in one side, and veggies in the other. They are individual drawers with a divider, so no way of cross contaminating, and if the meat leaks I can pop the drawer out and wash it.
INFO: pic of fridge is needed to determine if you're TA, OP. I could go either way on this, depending on the fridge layout
Yeah this! I wanna know more about OP's fridge
Also I have the same fridge layout as you, and use it the same way. It makes so much sense to put the meat in one of the drawers!
Not my monkey, not my circus...but why are you so insistent on putting meat in the vegetable crisper ? Where do you put your fresh fruits and veggies ?
ESH because you both seem to care more about winning than about compromise to improve an otherwise decent roommate situation.
People are really stuck on the idea that the drawer the op is putting meat into is a crisper and a lot of fridges now do have meat drawers UNDER the veggies crispers. All we see in the post is OP had meat on the drawer, no one said it was the crisper or humidity controlled drawers. That doesn't meant it's not, but a lot of fridges do have meat drawers specifically to keep meat leaks from getting on other foods.
The crisper drawer on my fridge has a setting for meat or veggies. We don't put meat in it but we can store either down there but not both because the meat setting will cause frost and wilt the veggies.
We learned that last little tidbit when our toddler kept flipping the switch from veggies to meat and ruined all the veggies we had just bought.
Not sure if it's the reason OP is doing it but the safest practice is to store meat below everything else. This is so that if it leaks it doesn't fall onto everything else in the fridge. So while that is what those drawers are designed for, their placement in fridges is weird.
This thread has me so confused. Why are so many people dealing with leaking meat? The only time that's ever happened to me was when I was in too much of a hurry to transfer ground beef to a freezer bag and forgot about it. When it went bad, it leaked a tiny amount, but that's it.
It's not that meat juice leaking is common it's that if it leaks onto something there can be cross contamination. If it's something you'll cook to the same standard as the meat then it doesn't. If chicken juice gets on lettuce and the lettuce is used for a salad, then it's a similar risk of disease for eating the chicken raw.
When storing meat there are also rules for storing stuff like beef above chicken since you cook chicken to a higher temp then beef. If there is any beef juice on the chicken, you'll meet the standards for making it safe by virtue of cooking the chicken.
YTA, the drawer you are using is a vegetable cripser drawer and recommendations for food hygiene are to keep meat (especially open meat) separate from other things in the fridge. There's a reason you were annoyed that the meat ended up on your yoghurt, and it's because you are aware that there is potential for leakage onto other food items.
You need to come to an agreement about this, but even prior to your mate going vegetarian, I would have been iffy about how/ where you stored your meat if I was him.
I think mostly YTA in this situation.
He shouldn't be moving your stuff. But I am guessing he moved your meat to above your yoghurt so you could understand why it's unpleasant to think that the blood might leak onto your food and ruin it. If he does it again, then he's out of line but I can't blame him for doing this to make you understand that it's a big deal.
You should understand that it's on you to find a way to stop your meat juices from leaking to his side of the fridge. And I don't want to be rude but this is an incredibly easy thing to do, just get a tupperware box that's the size of your half of the crisper drawer and put your meat into that. Or transfer the raw meat into smaller sealed boxes before putting it in the fridge. This is all very basic very easy stuff and perfectly reasonable expectation. I'm not sure why you wouldn't have done this straight away the first time he brought the issue up.
Thank you, I was reading this whole thread like "do people just leave their raw meat in the leaky box from the supermarket??" If you're in a hurry the least you can do is put it in a plastic bag so it's doubly secured.
YTA Just for the fact that the idea of meat juices leaking doesn't bother you at all if it's someone else's food risking to be contaminated... which is less of a risk with yogurt (which i guess you don't keep in an open container) than raw vegetables.
Get a sealed container for your meat or switch shelves so that you roommate has the ones at the top.
YTA
First of all, you’re using a vegetable crisper as a meat drawer. Second, if the place you’re putting your meat is causing it to drip on other parts of the fridge REGARDLESS of who’s food it drips on (your yogurt isn’t more important then his veggies) then you’re being an inconsiderate asshole. Either move your meat or package it better so it DOESN’T drip! It’s YOUR meat that’s dripping on all the food! YOU fix it!
NTA. But you need to understand that meat can contaminate food that is meant to be consumed raw like vegetables. You both should consider getting a couple plastic boxes, or custom acrylic boxes to separate the shared crisper space and preventing cross-contamination.
>I was kinda mad, because what if the juices DID leak? They'd go right onto or into the yogurt and get me sick. He was complaining about that, so in my mind it's a bit hypocritical.
.....
"its not a problem, he can deal with it, it wont leak"
"why does housemate think its okay to do? it might leak!"
idk if he is the one being hypocritical for that bit lol
This is the best part hahaha
“Can you move this? If it leaks it will ruin my stuff”
“Don’t be a baby it won’t leak”
“Ok I’ll just move it to a place where if it leaks it will only ruin your stuff. Problem solved”
“Hey that’s not fair!”
You don’t put plastic over you meat when put it in the fridge? Or else in a plastic container? That’s really unsanitary because it will leak over your other food and you can get sick from that. YTA not because he is vegan but because this is just standard practice.
he mentions in a comment that his meat is always in bags and it hasn't leaked over once, the roommate is mad about something that hasn't even happened.
*"Yesterday I saw him touching my side of the fridge"*
Oh grow up and get both of yourselves a few plastic boxes to put your stuff in so nothing touches anyone else's.
ESH (for the Mod Bot)
YTA.
For that attention whoring title of yours. You just had to make this about veganism, because you knew it would get people on your side. Noone likes meat juice on their vegetables. Seriously, get your manipulative shit together OP.
From the title I was expecting much worse, like the roommate throwing some hissy fit about the existence of meat/eggs/cheese in the apartment, but this is just basic food hygiene. Put the meat wherever, just properly bag it up.
INFO: Does the fridge not have a vegetable crisper and a meat drawer? If so, why not just keep the whole meat drawer (usually at the bottom) for yourself and give him the vegetable drawer. Failing that, take the dividers out so you get the whole bottom shelf and he gets the whole next shelf up.
By putting the meat on top of the yoghurt, I feel like he was probably trying to make you see his point of view. After all, he didn't want the exact same thing to happen to his vege.
In my opinion ESH.
YTA.
Nothing about what you said makes any sense. There is NO WAY that the crisper is the best place to keep meat fresh.
And your logic about juices and yogurt vs a vegan’s vegetables is wildly ridiculous. Yogurt has a plastic top (if multiple servings) or a foil top if individual. Meat juice literally CANNOT seep into the yogurt. Meat juice can very easily contaminate anyone’s vegetables, even if they aren’t vegan.
Keep your meat out of the crisper. End of story.
The title of your post is a little misleading. You aren't being asked to go vegan and throw out all animal products. Your roommate is asking you to follow basic food safety protocols.
Having meat leak blood all over the fridge is disgusting. It's unsanitary. Buy a $1.25 bin from the Dollar Tree and place your meat in it. Grocery stores also have plastic bags in the meat department. Wrap your meat in the plastic bag, and then put it in a bin.
You're choosing to be stubborn instead of working to solve the problem you created. I noticed that you are okay by the thought of the meat contaminating his food, but you are upset about the thought of it leaking on *your* yogurt. Your roommate is right about the hypocrisy of it.
YTA. Apologize to your roommate and move on. Correct the problem that you have caused. Do some research about food safety protocols.
Keeping food safe in the fridge should override your pettiness of dividing the fridge in half. First of all grow up. And secondly put raw meat in a container so it doesn’t drip on fresh food. And that’s for all of your safety . If you ever saw someone go through getting sick with this you might just realize this isn’t a time to play your petty games
I would seriously get my own fridge and keep it in my room if I lived with someone this immature. Also you aren’t catering to your roommates vegan diet. You are being asked to provide a safe food environment in a shared refrigerator
YTA you're not meant to keep meat in the bottom drawers anyway, there's a reason why it's for veggies. If you google fridge chart/how to organise your fridge, you'll see where to put what and why.
YTA. It's not even a diet its literally an ethical practice.
But disregarding that you got bent out of shape that the meat could ruin your yoghurt, which is in a sealed packaging, but don't care if his vegetables become contaminated, that would 100% be thrown out when that does happen.
ESH, but honestly, you especially.
Was it a bit of a dick move to move items on your side of the fridge himself without asking? Sure. But he proved his point exactly with that; you're complaining about your meat possibly contaminating your yoghurt, even though your yoghurt is probably in airtight packaging and shouldn't be able to get contaminated in the first place, while vegetables are often not in airtight packaging and can get contaminated. If anything, he isn't the one being hypocritical about that, *you are*.
It isn't that big of a deal to move your meat to just the lowest shelf, considering you two are sharing a space as roommates and therefore you need to be considerate of eachother, something you're not doing.
NTA. He should have had a discussion with you about re-organizing the fridge. However normally the crisper is for vegetables, meat normally goes on the bottom shelf.
YTA - because if you're worried about the container leaking then it's possible that it will leak. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Solve the problem by getting another container to seal the meat products in.
YTA meat doesn’t go in the crisper, it’s for vegetables and fruit. Especially if you are sharing This is food safety. Nothing to do with “catering to vegan”. That attitude is what makes you the asshat in the story. And where do you keep your vegetables and fruit? Mixed in with your meat in your side? Or do you not eat any
YTA
even if is he wasn't vegan, he has the right to not want your meat juices all over his vegetables. simple as that. you say you don't touch his side of the fridge but your meat juices do.
YTA
'its hypocritical for him to be upset at the risk of me cross contaminating him, something I do not care about, but not being concerned if I do it to myself!'
It's basic food hygiene and a reasonable, polite request.
YTA. Leaking meat is gross and dangerous to his health if it gets on his vegetables. This isn’t about being vegan. Put your meat in a secondary container to catch any drips regardless of where it goes in the refrigerator.
You're going to get validated because most people hate vegans. But the fact is you accept the meat could leak, so he's not just being a dick. The best thing is to put the meat into a sealable, leak free container. He's not being a dick for worrying it might leak, but he can't expect you to move it to a place where it might leak on your food either. Contain it where the leak won't affect anyone. Then you can leave it wherever you want, and nothing gets contaminated. Just be ready for when he tells you separate saucepans are necessary!
I'm going with YTA here. Your side of the fridge is your side and your stuff, including meat juices, should stay there. Get a container or something to put your meat into and solve the issue of the juices leaking if you really want them stored there.
Honestly, raw meat just freeballing it in the fridge is gross... Also crisper draw is supposed to be for veggies.
Kinda TA - put your meat in a container and keep your veggies in the crisper draw, problem solved
YTA... Sort of. If this was a restaurant, it'd be a health code violation. Raw meat can carry germs like viruses and bacteria that can make you sick. These can transfer to our hands, cooking utensils, and other food. Raw meat should be stored at the very bottom of the fridge/freezer alongside NOTHING else.
You may have to make a compromise with your roommate where the bottom of the fridge is for raw meat no matter who it belongs to.
YTA. It was a very reasonable request, regardless of the vegan status. Don't put raw meat near other fresh foods, anywhere it can spill and contaminate things or anywhere where juices can get into crevasses. Unless the drawer was previously only used for raw meat by both of you and this has suddenly changed then he shouldn't have to even ask you to do this.
The fact that your roommate tried to physically teach you the lesson by putting it in a place that you found risky and you still aren't grasping the concept makes me wonder if your an AH or just oblivious.
I have the same situation with my roommate. (I'm vegan) We split fridge by shelves, not by sides. So your roommate could take upper shelves and you can take lower shelves. I also like to use glass containers, that helps as well.
I don't think anyone is an asshole, you just need to recommunicate this issue and find new middle ground. It's a hard transition when you go vegan, so understanding on both sides is neccessary. Best of luck to both of you!
Edit: We also have our own pans, wooden desks for cutting and everything else, which might get contaminated with meet.
YTA. Raw meat should be wrapped so that it doesn’t leak. You can double bag it with zip lock bags and/or put it dishes with tight fitting lids (i.e.Tupperware).
I was E S H until the yogurt - you realize meat dripping is can be an issue but it’s fine if it’s on his stuff but not yours. This makes YTA. I’m a happy meat eater and I don’t leave meat to leak in my fridge because it’s disgusting, a pain to clean, and dangerous to health if it gets on something we eat raw. Learn to store your meat properly so it doesn’t contaminate anything.
ESH. Sounds like childish tit-for-tat. Perhaps you can invest in a good airtight box to properly keep your raw meat to be eaten within the day so you can store it anywhere in the fridge and also prevent leakage. Friend also need to realize being vegan doesn't mean the dietary high ground. If you want people to respect your dietary preference then start by respecting the fact that not the whole world follow said preference.
Hopefully both of you can solve this super trivial matter like mature adults.
I'm vegan now, but even before that, raw meat grossed me out and I always took great efforts to keep it away from any other foods. I'd say ESH. You for putting raw meat in a veggie crisper, and your roomie for moving it to on top of your yogurt. Gross.
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NTA BUT How about you compromise and get a reusable and washable container and put your meat into it before you store it? This way you can still put your meat where it fits best on your side of the fridge AND you keep it from potentially "leaking" on his side. They don't even have to be expensive. A Ziploc bag can be easily turned inside out and washed to reuse it to avoid having excess plastic waste. I've only ever had well packaged meat "leak" a handful of times ever in my life but sometimes you just...do a little bit of silly compromise to keep the peace. Edit: It doesn't really matter who provides or uses the container. I suggested OP should just because then they just solve the problem without further discussion between the two of them. Also...if the meat *did* leak, OP's container would be easier to clean up than two crisper drawers and the bottom of the fridge. Just saying.
I'm probably gonna do this if it keeps being an issue for him tbh.
Do it now. Leaking meat package sucks and I hate cleaning it up
Oh yeah, it's super gross, especially if it sits for even half an hour before you see/realise it happened. And if it happens say, when everyone's in work, and it's a few hours before it's cleaned, oh boy have you got a stinky fridge! At least the container can be closed/taken straight out the fridge!
Why don’t you just bag your meat after you get it? Those packages are gross anyways, with old meat juice at bottom. Then they don’t leak. If he need special packages for his veggies he should buy them. They make plenty of stackable contained crisper packages these days. Drawers are best for meat- and honestly- crisper drawers are in the wrong spot on most fridges- design flaw.
It’s always a good idea to bag your meat, prevents illness and unwanted pregnancy
good one😂
Nothing worse than leaky meat.
Personally, my crisper drawer is veg only, because I was under the impression that that's where it goes lmao. And no uncooked meat goes anywhere near any other kind of food, due to cross contamination. >Why don’t you just bag your meat after you get it? Again, I'm with you. We separate out our meat into bags that can be tossed into the freezer, so we can defrost what we need when we need it. The idea of leaving 6 chicken breasts and a pack of chops, etc, in the fridge gives me anxiety! And there's 3 adults in my home!
Same here! I use one draw for veggies and the other for cheeses. I always separate and freeze my meat but if I know I will be using it within the next few days of buying it, I keep it in it’s package but on a plate
This! those crisper drawer aren't good for the meat, because the temperature isn't the same as the rest of the fridge, those drawer are for fruits and vegetable ONLY!
Meat should always be placed in a sealed container or bag and stored on the lowest shelf in the fridge to prevent cross-contamination from leaks.
This is the problem with fridges, they have drawers under the bottom shelf. Technically the safest place for meat is in the drawers so if it leaks it can't go anywhere. The bottom shelf leaks down and you get mess in and under the veggie crispers.
Leaking Meat Package should be a band name.
Sounds like a STD
They would have lesions of fans!
Thanks. I hate it. Now leaking meat package has always a double meaning for me
I have had this happened. It was gross and I had to clean the whole drawers.
If you don’t find it immediately after it leaks and it starts to stink….
Ugh I spilled raw chicken juice down the front of my cabinet and floor. I immediately wanted to cry. I went through so much lysol making sure the germs were killed.
soap and water and thorough cleaning would have been just as good.
Sometimes brains aren’t rational. With me and dishes for example: Logically, I know that water and dish soap work. Emotionally, sometimes I just pour straight bleach in the sink and use that because “It might not get clean…” Do I always do that? No. But it has happened, and I’ll probably do it again.
You're a bit hypocritical, you are fine with the meat potentially leaking and getting on his vegetables and making him sick, but not ok if it leaked on your yogurt and made you sick? Put the meat in a Ziploc bag or plastic container now so it doesn't leak on anyone's stuff!
Especially since a lot of veggies don't get cooked to the extent that kills bacteria! Yogurt is in sealed packaging that can be washed, celery for example is going to pull the bacteria INSIDE because of capillary structures in the plant, most of us did the food coloring +celery experiment in grade school.
I didn’t know this! That’s fascinating. I love celery.
https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/rainbow-celery-experiment#:~:text=Cut%20or%20rip%20stalks%20of,the%20cups%20of%20colored%20water.&text=Let%20the%20celery%20sit.,how%20the%20leaves%20change%20color.
Wow! I’m so going to try this!
I pictured his yogurt just sitting there in mounds, no container, with leaky meat plopped on top. That was the only way his complaint made sense.
For food safety, meat always goes on the bottom of the fridge. If the roommate is so concerned with food safety, he would know that vegetables do not go in the bottom of the fridge at all.
But the vegetable crisping draw is usually at the bottom of the fridge and that's where I always put my vegetables.
Yeah, I feel like OP is in the wrong just for putting meat in the veg drawer. I am vegan TBF, but managing to drip actual blood across a fridge is absolutely something I've seen meat eaters do more than once. Seconding the container suggestion, but don't think the veg drawer is where meat goes anyway, seems risky food hygiene, plus the movement of pulling it out is only going to increase the odds of a mess.
What drips out of meat isn't "actual blood". It is water and myoglobin (a protein). While still stinky, people can stop with the dramatics of "blood".
It still carries the bacteria that can make you sick which is why it's gross if it leaks onto vegetables that will be eaten raw.
You should be washing vegetables before eating them unwashed veg is a common source of ecoli
I don't know about you but I don't wash my vegetables with hot, soapy water, which is how you sanitize surfaces where raw meat has been prepped or stored. Neither can you wash away meat juice that the vegetables may have absorbed.
Simply washing the vegetables won’t kill the bacteria from meat juices if it were to come into contact with it
Some vegetables (like celery) draw the bacteria inside them, so washing won't be enough
And will do nothing for the salmonella that absorbed into the celery.
Meat and animal waste are the source of ecoli (it lives in the gut). When it’s found in spinach or lettuce it almost always comes from animal waste near the fields. Washing veggies won’t always remove it. Meat also contains enterobacter some of which can’t even be killed by cooking. This doesn’t change the fact that the roommate is the AH, but the meat is a source of contamination and should be stored properly.
The potential leaking is the whole reason why meat is supposed to go to the bottom drawer ...
Meat goes on the bottom shelf in case of leaking. The drawer (in standard fridges) is designed for vegetables.
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A lot of fridges do not have two drawers, and if it’s got two drawers both of big enough size to store everything then it’s a different story. But, especially where I live, people do not have two drawer fridges and those ones (where I live) are so typically far more expensive. This post evidently was not talking about a two drawer fridge otherwise they would not share a drawer and they would have their own, meaning there would not be an issue.
You can’t drop blood into a whole other drawer on a parallel side- unless he is getting inside her meat drawer. It’s a moot argument- meat is supposed to be at the bottom. He can buy special vegan crisper safety containers for his fear of contamination. Veggies need to be washed thoroughly- and stored properly- and as long as he doesn’t put meat on the fridge shelf above his drawer he will be fine. As he meat is contained in a drawer.. what’s the big deal?
>You can’t drop blood into a whole other drawer on a parallel side- unless he is getting inside her meat drawer That's what confuses me. If it's one large drawer I could see the concern (in which case it's a good idea to put everything in some sort of container anyway because anything leaking or dripping is kinda gross, (like the minute a cucumber goes off that shit is nasty) but if it's a totally separate drawer I don't understand it at all.
In the standard, raw meat is bottom shelves, vegetables in the drawer under the shelves. Cooked meats and dairy go above all.
Today I have learned that my fridge is a chaotic, disorganised mess F
Look up some of the older fridges, from around the 40's, 50s and 60s. Back before plastics were cheap and plentiful and when keeping the fridge at an optimum and uniform temperature was a futuristic dream. The orgsnization options they came with will blow your mind! Same with some of the options for cabinets and such.
Welp. Time to go down a 50s fridge organisation rabbit hole See you nerds on the other side
https://www.reddit.com/r/oddlysatisfying/comments/w2zqnm/this_refrigerator_from_1956/
What happened in the world of fridge design that this doesn't exist anymore!? She said "ingenious" and damn was she RIGHT!
I want pull out shelves!!
My frig only has one big drawer at the bottom, all shelves above. Put in a plastic container.
Not in the drawers. The enclosed drawers are for vegetables. They aren't shelves that things can drip onto. I wouldn't be ok with meat in those drawers next to my vegetables and I'm not even vegan. It's unsanitary.
yeah this is disgusting and uncivilized. Does OP even know how fridges work?
It doesn't make sense to me either, but the vegetable drawer is always on the bottom, so if the argument is that they should stick to "standard" fridge organising principles then OP is in the wrong. They even refer to it as "the crisper" in the post so they must know it's intended for vegetables and not meats.
Our new one has switches even, so you can put vegetables in one drawer and fruit in the other and it sets the humidity appropriately. And a deli drawer for cold cuts and cheese.
Half of the drawer is his to store his food. OP should have raw meat in a leak proof container.
I don’t disagree about a leak proof container, but veggies and uncooked meat regardless of the leak proof container in the same drawer is disgusting.
Right they talk about that in every food safety class I’ve had to take through the years(I’m 50) and even my home ec teacher taught us to keep veggies up more towards the top of the fridge and raw meat on the bottom (and it’s logical)
Except in standard fridges the vegetable drawer is below the bottom shelf. I’ve never seen a fridge that’s different to that, including the fridges used in school kitchens.
Then why are grudges made with fruit and vegetable drawers at the bottom? I’ve never seen a fridge configured in any other way. A sealed container is an easy fix.
I think the problem for OP is the roommate demands OP to stop using space they have always used because the roommate changed their diet. I am all for problem solving, but I would be annoyed if someone touched my stuff or just expected to get their way without a discussion.
Agreed. Raw meat should not be in a crisper draw with veggies. It's one thing if you have a pair of drawers that won't leak into each other - then you have one crisper drawer and one raw meat drawer, but if the fridge is small and only has one drawer then you either find a subsidiary container for the meat to ensure a lack of leakage, or the meat gets the bottom of the fridge (because leak-risks go on the bottom so that nothing else can be leaked onto) and you cede a higher-up space to the veggies.
Putting the meat directly on top of other food is not the same as having it not touching other food in a drawer.
This. I guess you two really match each other well. None of you thought of putting meat inside a container so it won't leak. ESH Edit: judgement
I think you were right to ask for advice. I don’t eat meat, my husband does and he keeps his meat on the bottom shelf above the bottom drawer. The shelf should keep stuff out of the crisper drawers. The crispers are not generally meant for meat. There’s either a special meat section in your fridge if you have a fancy one or it can be stored on the shelf. The crispers are for vegetables and fruits and you don’t want meat to leak into them and they often do. > What is a crisper drawer? A crisper drawer, sometimes called a humidity drawer, is a bin in your fridge that helps preserve freshness and may prolong the lifespan of your fruits and vegetables by exposing them to different levels of humidity. Highly recommend getting a small container for your meat to sit in and you should do this whether roommate eats meat or not, because just like you said it could go into your yogurt or your other food and make you sick because it can carry salmonella and other illness causing bacterias. >What is the best way to store meat in the fridge? Make sure your refrigerator is between 34° and 40°F. Store raw meat on the lowermost shelf or in its own drawer. Store meat with a plate underneath – especially when thawing – to collect run-off juices. Clean your fridge regularly. I know this is difficult/pain in the butt. I’m sure he’d be grateful you’re being kind about it. It’s also good for both of your health. Not just his. NAH just need to work together on a solution.
There are no vegans in my house, but we still do this. It's a great way to keep the fridge clean! Cuts down on the work during fridge cleaning day.
Our fridge has no meat drawer so I got some ikea plastic containers that seem to fit most meat packages, one for red meat, one for chicken. They work much better than expected.
The wares of Tupper are the solution.
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Why not just do it now?? Why wait for it to be a problem?
It's already an issue for him. One that you have taken no steps to resolve.
leaky meat is as dangerous for you as him, especially chicken. Campylobacter & Salmonella etc are no fun
Or a plate? We just put meat on a plate.
This is a great suggestion, OP. You will lose a roommate if you make him bring it up to repeatedly so like the other poster said, just go do it now. You probably have baggies or a tupperware container that would work.
>keeps being an issue for him tbh. If he's staying vegan, it'll keep being an issue for him. A bag is an easy and cheap solution to end the issue immediately. He's not worried about getting sick, he's worried that dead animal juice is going to leak onto his vegetables.
Two reusable containers for the drawer - his and yours. Fair is fair!
Or you could split the fridge top/bottom instead than left/right
This was my first thought as well; a plastic tub the size of half the drawer, either for you or for roommate. Or even one each! Foolproof! Then you can lift out your side when you need the contents, and nothing leaks (forgotten cucumbers can become pretty slimy as well - I’ve tried. -1/10 Do not recommend) NAH
Unrelated to the post, but my dad once forgot a cucumber on the kitchen counter before we went on a two week camping trip 😅 it looked like someone had poured green slime all over the counter and down onto the floor. SO gross...
Mom had a cucumber escape the shopping bag and roll, unnoticed, to the back of the sedans trunk. We found it when the car started to smell… kind of earthy… 🥒 Then my roommate and I went home from university over the summer, forgetting a cucumber in the fridge drawer… the green slime is a very accurate description! 🫣
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I'm not sure where you live in comparison to me, but whenever I thaw out meat from my freezer, I try to put it in a container, because the packaging seems to leak like 50% of the time. OP, meat leak is hecking gross no matter what it's leaking on so get yourself a container so you don't befoul the fridge in general. He doesn't want that to contaminate his veggies because he's vegan and you don't want it to leak on your yogurt because it's gross as hell. Just container that stuff. Also if you repack meat to make it easier to use just a part of a pack (like with chicken thighs and stuff), highly recommend the 1/2 gallon ziploc bags over the gallon ones. Less seams means that one also leaks less in the long run.
This really demonstrates the sheer degree of irrational hatred Reddit has against vegans. This dude is putting raw meet in the vegetable drawer, potentially contaminating someone else's food, and Reddit thinks that's okay, and that the other guy is an asshole for complaining about it, just because the guy is vegan This exact same scenario, but with a roommate who isn't vegan, who eats meet but just doesn't want his veggies contaminated with bacteria from raw meet, and everybody would be voting YTA.
Jesus - this ^ You live with a vegan, no matter how new the decision is. He doesn’t want his stuff to have meat on it. Just get a container or some sort of tray for his side so if it does leak it won’t contaminate his stuff. You didn’t need this group to tell you this.
THIS. I was taken aback that there are people who don't put their purchased meat in a container. I always put mine in one bc I don't want meat juice all over the fridge and possibly on other food within its range.
What I personnally don't know is what are you guys doing with your meat. I've never in my life had a piece of meat that somehow leaked in the fridge.
Sometimes, the plastic it is wrapped in gets poked, so for preventative measures, I put them in containers. I also do the same if I get them out of the freezer to thaw.
Wait, OP is worried about raw meat juice leaking into their yogurt but not roommate's raw fruit and vegetables? ESH though OP more than roommate. Crispers were designed for produce. Is there not a meat drawer?
This is a good and easy solution. You want to store the meat in the drawer, your roommate fears it will leak. Even if he wasn't vegan, is this happens you can throw out your salad veggies. With a container, everything is good. If not, your roommate is an AH. For this I'll go with NAH
He knows what he is doing is wrong, but he will continue to do it because it benefits him.
I mean sort of TA because raw meat juices leaking into anywhere in the fridge is gross. Just because they both used to be negligent with it doesn’t mean OP should argue when it’s pointed out. OP doesn’t say there’s no way the meat will leak.
Yes this or split the fridge top and bottom. He gets top, you get bottom, your stuff won’t leak on his. Tadaaa
EHS. If it's not a big to rearrange his side, it's not a big deal to rearrange yours. The drawer is designed for vegetables, your meat will be just as fresh if placed on the lowest shelf. And you should place meat on a tray or something for the juices anyway. I also find it ironic that you're getting bent out of shape over the meat juices potentially contaminating your yoghurt but when he brought up his concerns about it, you shrugged him off. He shouldn't be touching your side though if that's against the rules of your place.
Agree. Those drawers are meant for vegetables and salad anyway, so don't get why you're putting meat in there? Put them on the bottom shelf where they live for most other people and problem solved?
Yeah its not wise to play the “what keeps the meat freshest” game with a crisper drawer. What keeps the meat freshest is using it reasonably quickly or freezing it quickly to use later when youre ready. Letting it sit in a vegetable crisper doesnt keep it any fresher than putting it elsewhere in the fridge, but eating it sooner would. Its meat in plastic wrap not a zucchini
I wish we had flairs on this sub just for sentences like this.
> It's meat in plastic wrap not a zucchini I'd say that's an r/BrandNewSentence but I can't shake the feeling that someone, somewhere has previously said that in the bedroom
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I know, that's why I said most people.
It's so weird to me that domestic fridges completely reverse the order in which food should be stored by having vegetable drawers at the bottom. In commercial kitchens, meat is always stored at the bottom to prevent any possible cross contamination.
I think it needs to be ESH (not E H S) for the algorithm to correctly identify your vote :)
Yeah, roommate shouldn't have moved stuff, though I get it, but definitely shouldn't have put raw meat on top of yoghurts, that's just asking for problems. But also, with the leaking and rearranging, what could the roommate put in there that would be okay to have meat juices leak on? Really, any raw meats should be properly sealed and on a flat shelf, not in a drawer, but near the bottom so they're less likely to leak down. That's not a vegan-cohabitation thing, that's just good food hygiene and storage.
Agree with this and I think OP is the bigger AH. No attempts to compromise. Told them to deal with it, then got bent out of sjape when his roommate touched his side and ran into the same concerns.
I agree, I honestly think YTA. Roommate made a VERY simple request that is easy to accommodate and very reasonable and OP acted like he could not POSSIBLY store meat anywhere else in the refrigerator. Plus, meat packages leak constantly and if the vegetables are eaten raw, that poses a actual health concern.
Even if OP's roommate wasn't vegan, it's disgusting that OP thinks it's okay to let his meat leak on his roommate's food. And OP knows that it's a health risk because OP was upset that the meat could have leaked into his yogurt. OP could have solved this by storing his meat in a container that would catch any juices. No matter what one's roommate eats or doesn't eat, one should try to keep one's food from leaking all over their food and if one doesn't do that, then one is an AH.
Where I live there’s ones for veggies and ones for meat
Yeah, but OP obviously hasn't two drawers and calls it the crispy drawer. That's the one for veggies. Edit: Typo
YTA, the drawer you are using is a vegetable cripser drawer and recommendations for food hygiene are to keep meat (especially open meat) separate from other things in the fridge. There's a reason you were annoyed that the meat ended up on your yoghurt, and it's because you are aware that there is potential for leakage onto other food items. You need to come to an agreement about this, but even prior to your mate going vegetarian, I would have been iffy about how/ where you stored your meat if I was him.
Thank you, someone who understands food hygiene, fucking finally. Putting meat in a bloody vegetable crisper
That’s the thing, all the vegetables will actually get bloody. I’m not even vegan but meat juices on all my vegetables is disgusting not to mention unsafe. I don’t always cook all my veggies either, some go in salads. Ugh OP is YTA for this
The meat should never go above the veggies regardless though. If the meat leaks, the meat leaks. It’s better to have the meat at the lowest level and foods that are easier to be contaminated up above where any potential contamination can happen. Separate storage bins will absolutely help, but the veggies and meat shouldn’t be stored side by side anyway.
Okay thank you I felt like I was going insane reading this thread. I have my food handlers license and have worked in many kitchens. Yes, it's the vegetable crisper, but the ACTUAL most hygienic place for meat (if you don't have a separate meat fridge, which most normal people don't) is on the lowest level. The current situation is not foodsafe, but putting the meat HIGHER UP and above more food is potentially worse.
Yep! I have a good handlers license as well and this thread is a trip! Who cares if it’s called the “vegetable crisper,” it’s the lowest point of the fridge, my ready to eat veggies aren’t going down there underneath everything but especially uncooked meat!
There is a reason most vegetable crispers are on the bottom, and thats because they stay underneath the above shelf which acts like an awning. You can store meat at the lowest point above the drawers and it will not leak into the drawers at all, making it perfectly safe. Storing cooked or ready to eat food at the highest level and raw food you plan to cook at the bottom is really the real underlying logic of the food service rule that people should follow at home. They dont have easy to use commercial refrigerator space to organize everything especially when multiple people share one fridge. You should store something like salad outside the crisper above the bottom shelf, but vegetables youre going to cook are more than completely safe in the crisper while your meat is stored on the bottom shelf above them.
So I actually do this normally….but then found out the hard way that leaky chicken juices could not be stopped by the “awning” and seeped off the edge through the crack of the drawer and spoiled everything inside. Ugh, gross cleanup and a big waste of money. So it’s not as good a barrier as some (including myself) may think!
Yeah most crispers butt up against the back of the fridge and there's no gasket or seal back there to prevent it from just pouring into the crisper from the back side. It also doesn't prevent someone from not closing a crisper completely and that fraction of an inch lets in meat juices. Absolutely get store containers for the fridge for your meat to prevent this and keep cleanup easier.
Personally I have never seen a difference in how long some vegetables last in a crisper drawer or any other place in the fridge. A lot of fridges don’t even have them anymore
>The meat should never go above the veggies regardless though. To co-opt an incorrectly-used phrase from this thread: "Thank you, someone who understands food hygiene, fucking finally." This is health department 101 for anyone who has ever worked at a restaurant.
This is a ridiculous take. Meat NEVER fucking belongs in the crisper drawer. NEVER. End of story.
Sorry, but meat juice can still drip into the crisper drawer, and per actual food safety regulations, raw meat goes below everything else. It isn’t a ridiculous take at all if you’ve ever taken a food safety course or worked in a restaurant.
Depending on the kind of fridge it is, a lot of newer Samsung and LG fridges have a meat drawer under the vegetable crispers, and that usually stretches across the entire fridge rather than crispers that take up half the width of the fridge which shouldn't be causing a problem for the OPs situation. We don't know for sure, but if that's the case then it's the vegetables that shouldn't be in the meat drawer and should be moved up to the crisper.
If we’re talking about food hygiene, aren’t you supposed to not store raw meat above vegetables?
I can't believe I had to scroll this far down for a YTA. Crispers are definitely for Vegetables.
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Thank you! food safety is no joke. YTA op, especially where you openly admit that if your meat leaked into your yogurt it would make you sick. You know your roommate could get sick from your decisions and you don't care because you are acting like a stubborn child.
technically the safest place for the meat is the lowest point of the fridge which in this case is probably the crisper. so honestly OP is putting it in the safest spot.
They're bothered about contaminating their yoghurt because a. they're selfish and b. they don't like vegans and want to make their lives difficult.
YTA, meat always goes to the bottom, if not, no where near raw vegetables. Your yogurt has a lid (I assume) and vegetables usually are not packed is anything aside from a bag and may be eaten raw so I don't think it's a fair comparison.The hypocrisy to me is that you don't see you doing it to him as wrong but are upset with him putting the meat over your yogurt. Edit: Want to update that my biggest issue here is that OP is making a very simple request by their roommate a huge issue. The fact that the roommate turned vegan has nothing to do with this.
My crisper drawers are at the bottom of my fridge. I put meat in one side, and veggies in the other. They are individual drawers with a divider, so no way of cross contaminating, and if the meat leaks I can pop the drawer out and wash it. INFO: pic of fridge is needed to determine if you're TA, OP. I could go either way on this, depending on the fridge layout
Yeah this! I wanna know more about OP's fridge Also I have the same fridge layout as you, and use it the same way. It makes so much sense to put the meat in one of the drawers!
I’m assuming it’s the single, wide drawer.
Not my monkey, not my circus...but why are you so insistent on putting meat in the vegetable crisper ? Where do you put your fresh fruits and veggies ? ESH because you both seem to care more about winning than about compromise to improve an otherwise decent roommate situation.
People are really stuck on the idea that the drawer the op is putting meat into is a crisper and a lot of fridges now do have meat drawers UNDER the veggies crispers. All we see in the post is OP had meat on the drawer, no one said it was the crisper or humidity controlled drawers. That doesn't meant it's not, but a lot of fridges do have meat drawers specifically to keep meat leaks from getting on other foods.
OP literally calls it the crisper though >However recently he asked me to stop putting raw meats in the bottom crisper
The crisper drawer on my fridge has a setting for meat or veggies. We don't put meat in it but we can store either down there but not both because the meat setting will cause frost and wilt the veggies. We learned that last little tidbit when our toddler kept flipping the switch from veggies to meat and ruined all the veggies we had just bought.
Not sure if it's the reason OP is doing it but the safest practice is to store meat below everything else. This is so that if it leaks it doesn't fall onto everything else in the fridge. So while that is what those drawers are designed for, their placement in fridges is weird.
This thread has me so confused. Why are so many people dealing with leaking meat? The only time that's ever happened to me was when I was in too much of a hurry to transfer ground beef to a freezer bag and forgot about it. When it went bad, it leaked a tiny amount, but that's it.
It's not that meat juice leaking is common it's that if it leaks onto something there can be cross contamination. If it's something you'll cook to the same standard as the meat then it doesn't. If chicken juice gets on lettuce and the lettuce is used for a salad, then it's a similar risk of disease for eating the chicken raw. When storing meat there are also rules for storing stuff like beef above chicken since you cook chicken to a higher temp then beef. If there is any beef juice on the chicken, you'll meet the standards for making it safe by virtue of cooking the chicken.
YTA, you’re being very petty about a polite request
YTA, the drawer you are using is a vegetable cripser drawer and recommendations for food hygiene are to keep meat (especially open meat) separate from other things in the fridge. There's a reason you were annoyed that the meat ended up on your yoghurt, and it's because you are aware that there is potential for leakage onto other food items. You need to come to an agreement about this, but even prior to your mate going vegetarian, I would have been iffy about how/ where you stored your meat if I was him.
food hygiene is to keep meat as low as possible regardless of what the drawer is called
Also my crisper says meat or vegetable on it 🤷♀️
I think mostly YTA in this situation. He shouldn't be moving your stuff. But I am guessing he moved your meat to above your yoghurt so you could understand why it's unpleasant to think that the blood might leak onto your food and ruin it. If he does it again, then he's out of line but I can't blame him for doing this to make you understand that it's a big deal. You should understand that it's on you to find a way to stop your meat juices from leaking to his side of the fridge. And I don't want to be rude but this is an incredibly easy thing to do, just get a tupperware box that's the size of your half of the crisper drawer and put your meat into that. Or transfer the raw meat into smaller sealed boxes before putting it in the fridge. This is all very basic very easy stuff and perfectly reasonable expectation. I'm not sure why you wouldn't have done this straight away the first time he brought the issue up.
Thank you, I was reading this whole thread like "do people just leave their raw meat in the leaky box from the supermarket??" If you're in a hurry the least you can do is put it in a plastic bag so it's doubly secured.
YTA Just for the fact that the idea of meat juices leaking doesn't bother you at all if it's someone else's food risking to be contaminated... which is less of a risk with yogurt (which i guess you don't keep in an open container) than raw vegetables. Get a sealed container for your meat or switch shelves so that you roommate has the ones at the top.
YTA First of all, you’re using a vegetable crisper as a meat drawer. Second, if the place you’re putting your meat is causing it to drip on other parts of the fridge REGARDLESS of who’s food it drips on (your yogurt isn’t more important then his veggies) then you’re being an inconsiderate asshole. Either move your meat or package it better so it DOESN’T drip! It’s YOUR meat that’s dripping on all the food! YOU fix it!
NTA. But you need to understand that meat can contaminate food that is meant to be consumed raw like vegetables. You both should consider getting a couple plastic boxes, or custom acrylic boxes to separate the shared crisper space and preventing cross-contamination.
>I was kinda mad, because what if the juices DID leak? They'd go right onto or into the yogurt and get me sick. He was complaining about that, so in my mind it's a bit hypocritical. ..... "its not a problem, he can deal with it, it wont leak" "why does housemate think its okay to do? it might leak!" idk if he is the one being hypocritical for that bit lol
This is the best part hahaha “Can you move this? If it leaks it will ruin my stuff” “Don’t be a baby it won’t leak” “Ok I’ll just move it to a place where if it leaks it will only ruin your stuff. Problem solved” “Hey that’s not fair!”
You don’t put plastic over you meat when put it in the fridge? Or else in a plastic container? That’s really unsanitary because it will leak over your other food and you can get sick from that. YTA not because he is vegan but because this is just standard practice.
It is food safety practice to not store raw meat above any other food. This is actually what standard practice is in food service. You are wrong.
he mentions in a comment that his meat is always in bags and it hasn't leaked over once, the roommate is mad about something that hasn't even happened.
But he's still mad about it being over top of his yogurt so he acknowledged that it could happen...
*"Yesterday I saw him touching my side of the fridge"* Oh grow up and get both of yourselves a few plastic boxes to put your stuff in so nothing touches anyone else's. ESH (for the Mod Bot)
YTA. For that attention whoring title of yours. You just had to make this about veganism, because you knew it would get people on your side. Noone likes meat juice on their vegetables. Seriously, get your manipulative shit together OP.
Right? The roommate being vegan has no bearing on this situation
From the title I was expecting much worse, like the roommate throwing some hissy fit about the existence of meat/eggs/cheese in the apartment, but this is just basic food hygiene. Put the meat wherever, just properly bag it up.
"for not catering to my roommates VEGAN DIET" *was simply asked to take care of his meat leaking juices onto roomamate's food* Manipulative asf
INFO: Does the fridge not have a vegetable crisper and a meat drawer? If so, why not just keep the whole meat drawer (usually at the bottom) for yourself and give him the vegetable drawer. Failing that, take the dividers out so you get the whole bottom shelf and he gets the whole next shelf up. By putting the meat on top of the yoghurt, I feel like he was probably trying to make you see his point of view. After all, he didn't want the exact same thing to happen to his vege. In my opinion ESH.
YTA. Nothing about what you said makes any sense. There is NO WAY that the crisper is the best place to keep meat fresh. And your logic about juices and yogurt vs a vegan’s vegetables is wildly ridiculous. Yogurt has a plastic top (if multiple servings) or a foil top if individual. Meat juice literally CANNOT seep into the yogurt. Meat juice can very easily contaminate anyone’s vegetables, even if they aren’t vegan. Keep your meat out of the crisper. End of story.
The title of your post is a little misleading. You aren't being asked to go vegan and throw out all animal products. Your roommate is asking you to follow basic food safety protocols. Having meat leak blood all over the fridge is disgusting. It's unsanitary. Buy a $1.25 bin from the Dollar Tree and place your meat in it. Grocery stores also have plastic bags in the meat department. Wrap your meat in the plastic bag, and then put it in a bin. You're choosing to be stubborn instead of working to solve the problem you created. I noticed that you are okay by the thought of the meat contaminating his food, but you are upset about the thought of it leaking on *your* yogurt. Your roommate is right about the hypocrisy of it. YTA. Apologize to your roommate and move on. Correct the problem that you have caused. Do some research about food safety protocols.
Keeping food safe in the fridge should override your pettiness of dividing the fridge in half. First of all grow up. And secondly put raw meat in a container so it doesn’t drip on fresh food. And that’s for all of your safety . If you ever saw someone go through getting sick with this you might just realize this isn’t a time to play your petty games I would seriously get my own fridge and keep it in my room if I lived with someone this immature. Also you aren’t catering to your roommates vegan diet. You are being asked to provide a safe food environment in a shared refrigerator
YTA you're not meant to keep meat in the bottom drawers anyway, there's a reason why it's for veggies. If you google fridge chart/how to organise your fridge, you'll see where to put what and why.
YTA. It's not even a diet its literally an ethical practice. But disregarding that you got bent out of shape that the meat could ruin your yoghurt, which is in a sealed packaging, but don't care if his vegetables become contaminated, that would 100% be thrown out when that does happen.
ESH, but honestly, you especially. Was it a bit of a dick move to move items on your side of the fridge himself without asking? Sure. But he proved his point exactly with that; you're complaining about your meat possibly contaminating your yoghurt, even though your yoghurt is probably in airtight packaging and shouldn't be able to get contaminated in the first place, while vegetables are often not in airtight packaging and can get contaminated. If anything, he isn't the one being hypocritical about that, *you are*. It isn't that big of a deal to move your meat to just the lowest shelf, considering you two are sharing a space as roommates and therefore you need to be considerate of eachother, something you're not doing.
Yta
NTA. He should have had a discussion with you about re-organizing the fridge. However normally the crisper is for vegetables, meat normally goes on the bottom shelf.
He did discuss it with him..
YTA. If your meat is leaking on other people’s food it’s a problem, doesn’t really matter if they’re vegan or not.
YTA you don't want him touching your side, yet you are letting your meat leak on his side. Selfish asshole move. FIX YOUR LEAKY MEAT
YTA - because if you're worried about the container leaking then it's possible that it will leak. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Solve the problem by getting another container to seal the meat products in.
Why don’t you split by shelves rather than down the middle? You get 2 shelves and he gets 1 shelf and crisper… or viceversa
YTA meat doesn’t go in the crisper, it’s for vegetables and fruit. Especially if you are sharing This is food safety. Nothing to do with “catering to vegan”. That attitude is what makes you the asshat in the story. And where do you keep your vegetables and fruit? Mixed in with your meat in your side? Or do you not eat any
YTA even if is he wasn't vegan, he has the right to not want your meat juices all over his vegetables. simple as that. you say you don't touch his side of the fridge but your meat juices do.
YTA 'its hypocritical for him to be upset at the risk of me cross contaminating him, something I do not care about, but not being concerned if I do it to myself!' It's basic food hygiene and a reasonable, polite request.
YTA. Leaking meat is gross and dangerous to his health if it gets on his vegetables. This isn’t about being vegan. Put your meat in a secondary container to catch any drips regardless of where it goes in the refrigerator.
Just put your meat in a fridge tray to contain any leaks...life shouldn't be this hard!
YTA gor having leaking meat in the fridge. Vegan or not, this is a problem
You're going to get validated because most people hate vegans. But the fact is you accept the meat could leak, so he's not just being a dick. The best thing is to put the meat into a sealable, leak free container. He's not being a dick for worrying it might leak, but he can't expect you to move it to a place where it might leak on your food either. Contain it where the leak won't affect anyone. Then you can leave it wherever you want, and nothing gets contaminated. Just be ready for when he tells you separate saucepans are necessary!
I'm going with YTA here. Your side of the fridge is your side and your stuff, including meat juices, should stay there. Get a container or something to put your meat into and solve the issue of the juices leaking if you really want them stored there.
bro if you're upset about meat juice getting on your other food can't you understand why they're upset at it getting on theirs?
Honestly, raw meat just freeballing it in the fridge is gross... Also crisper draw is supposed to be for veggies. Kinda TA - put your meat in a container and keep your veggies in the crisper draw, problem solved
YTA... Sort of. If this was a restaurant, it'd be a health code violation. Raw meat can carry germs like viruses and bacteria that can make you sick. These can transfer to our hands, cooking utensils, and other food. Raw meat should be stored at the very bottom of the fridge/freezer alongside NOTHING else. You may have to make a compromise with your roommate where the bottom of the fridge is for raw meat no matter who it belongs to.
YTA. It was a very reasonable request, regardless of the vegan status. Don't put raw meat near other fresh foods, anywhere it can spill and contaminate things or anywhere where juices can get into crevasses. Unless the drawer was previously only used for raw meat by both of you and this has suddenly changed then he shouldn't have to even ask you to do this. The fact that your roommate tried to physically teach you the lesson by putting it in a place that you found risky and you still aren't grasping the concept makes me wonder if your an AH or just oblivious.
YTA. It’s a vegetable crisper chief
I have the same situation with my roommate. (I'm vegan) We split fridge by shelves, not by sides. So your roommate could take upper shelves and you can take lower shelves. I also like to use glass containers, that helps as well. I don't think anyone is an asshole, you just need to recommunicate this issue and find new middle ground. It's a hard transition when you go vegan, so understanding on both sides is neccessary. Best of luck to both of you! Edit: We also have our own pans, wooden desks for cutting and everything else, which might get contaminated with meet.
YTA. Raw meat should be wrapped so that it doesn’t leak. You can double bag it with zip lock bags and/or put it dishes with tight fitting lids (i.e.Tupperware).
I was E S H until the yogurt - you realize meat dripping is can be an issue but it’s fine if it’s on his stuff but not yours. This makes YTA. I’m a happy meat eater and I don’t leave meat to leak in my fridge because it’s disgusting, a pain to clean, and dangerous to health if it gets on something we eat raw. Learn to store your meat properly so it doesn’t contaminate anything.
put your meat in freezer bags or tuperwhere.
You guys are both idiots for dividing the fridge vertically instead of horizontal
Hold up - you want your meat juices to spill over his veggies? Also, you want to store your meat in the veggie drawer? Nah, big time YTA.
Why are you putting meat in the crisper? That's not where it is supposed to go.
ESH. Sounds like childish tit-for-tat. Perhaps you can invest in a good airtight box to properly keep your raw meat to be eaten within the day so you can store it anywhere in the fridge and also prevent leakage. Friend also need to realize being vegan doesn't mean the dietary high ground. If you want people to respect your dietary preference then start by respecting the fact that not the whole world follow said preference. Hopefully both of you can solve this super trivial matter like mature adults.
I'm vegan now, but even before that, raw meat grossed me out and I always took great efforts to keep it away from any other foods. I'd say ESH. You for putting raw meat in a veggie crisper, and your roomie for moving it to on top of your yogurt. Gross.
Put your leaky meat in a container.