Pre-cooked meals should be kept covered when stored in the fridge, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has warned.

It comes after the Tánaiste posted a picture of his fridge showing his meals for the week ahead, all pre-prepared in plastic storage containers.

The 16 lunch boxes contain a range of meals made up of ingredients including sausages, eggs, ham, and pancakes.

The image has sparked light-hearted debate online, with some people questioning whether it is safe to store uncovered food in the fridge.

Leo Varadkar is actually so brave for posting pictures of shocking food as often as he does pic.twitter.com/BgXOZh9vLF

— rory (@flatoutsure) October 17, 2022

This lunchtime, the Tánaiste issued an update confirming that he and his partner do, in fact, use lids when storing their pre-prepared food.

Minister Varadkar also shared a new image proving their meals also include vegetables.

Image: Leo Varadkar/Instagram

In a comment to Newstalk, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said it recommends the use of lids to prevent cross-contamination.

In a series of Tweets, it said the stored food should be safe, provided there is no risk of cross-contamination.

“Storing batched cooked or leftover food safely will reduce the risk of possible food poisoning,” it said.

“By safely, we mean that the food should be stored in the fridge (at between 0-5°C) or freezer (at -18°C or less) within two hours of cooking and used within two to three days.”

“Reheat the stored food to 70°C or higher at the core of the food. It should be very hot and steaming before it is served.”

The authority also posted a link to its recommendations for home cooking and storage.