Why is it important to label and date food items in the fridge?

Labeling and dating food items in the fridge is crucial for monitoring freshness and ensuring safe consumption. By clearly marking the date of storage, it becomes easier to keep track of how long each item has been stored. This is particularly important as food items can spoil or become unsafe to consume over time due to bacterial growth or degradation in quality. By knowing when items were stored, kitchen staff can follow proper food safety guidelines, ensuring that they use older items first and discard those that have exceeded safe storage durations. This practice helps prevent foodborne illnesses and maintains overall kitchen hygiene.

While other factors like avoiding clutter and managing the proximity of food items are important for organization and airflow in the fridge, they do not directly address food safety and freshness as effectively as proper labeling and dating do. Therefore, option C represents the primary reason for this important practice.