Storing Raw Foods - as part of the expert series by GeoBeats. When I get home from a shopping trip for a catering job or for just cooking for my family, I always make sure to put the refrigerated items in the refrigerator first, organizing my cheeses, meats, raw meats, things like that, and making sure they get back into refrigeration. In cooking there is something called the danger zone, and that runs between 40 and 140 degrees. So, you want to make sure that your cold items stay below 40 degrees, which means in your refrigerator. That way bacteria does not have a chance to grow, and everything stays fresh. If you do not have enough room in your refrigerator for everything that you just bought, which sometimes happens to me, what you can do is keep vegetables and other produce out on the counter or on a table. Those things can last overnight without refrigeration. They will be fine. They grew up in a field, they do not need to be in a refrigerator all the time. But, when it comes to things like meats that can spoil, or cheeses, you definitely want to make sure they go in the refrigerator as soon as possible. If you can, if you are doing a lot of shopping, make sure you bring a cooler bag or some ice packs, and that way your cold items can stay cold. Also, if you have frozen items, pack those in the bags closest to the meats and poultry and that way they will have a nice ice pack on their way home from the store. And that is how you should store everything when you come home from a big shopping trip.