Final answer:
Safe storage of food in a cooler requires placing less contaminant-prone items like frozen desserts, dairy products, and sealed items such as cakes and dressings, above seafood to prevent cross-contamination, while maintaining temperatures below 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) for refrigerated items and below -18 degrees C (0 degrees F) for frozen foods.
Step-by-step explanation:
When storing food in a cooler, it is essential to ensure that certain foods are kept above others to prevent cross-contamination. Seafood should always be stored at the bottom. Foods that can be safely stored above seafood in a cooler include frozen desserts, dairy products, and items that are less prone to contamination and are typically sealed, like cakes, pudding and gelatin mixes, dressings, jams and jellies, and sauces.
These items are less likely to drop liquids that can contain bacteria and are usually well-packaged, making them safer to store above seafood, which may leak and potentially contaminate other foods. Furthermore, ensuring all items are stored at the correct temperature, below 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) for a refrigerator and below -18 degrees C (0 degrees F) for a freezer, is critical to maintain food safety and inhibit bacterial growth.