Host Richard Hentschel talks with Nutrition and Wellness Educator Dru Banks about Refrigerator Safety. About 80 percent of refrigerators studied in a research project were found to be too warm to hold a variety of foods safe. Using a refrigerator thermometer to ensure the temperatures remain at least 41 degrees with a setting of 38 degrees to ensure all foods remain cold to ensure safety. Other practices include labeling items in the freezer so they are consumed before quality deteriorates.