COLDNESS ZONES, people. This would be an actual practical thing to learn.

I never stopped to think about the cold distribution of a fridge. Until now.

I've wronged my meat.  

How so?

I stored it in the fruit drawer.

Problem because fruits emit gas?

Sorry, meant "in the zone that is ideal for fruit" not "with fruit".

Ah, because meat should go on bottom where it's colder?

Raw meat lasts longer unwrapped and exposed to chilled circulating air in the fridge. I put mine on a stainless steel wire rack on the top shelf. It then naturally dehydrates and even gains flavor over days and weeks without going putrid.  If you forget about it you eventually get jerky.  I do the same thing with all meats, including uncured bacon, and fowl.  Seafood is more tricky but it can be treated the same way.

If you leave any raw and uncured meats in airtight plastic wrapping anywhere in the fridge it will go off quickly from anaerobic bacteria in a few days... unless you freeze it or keep it super-chilled at near freezing.

Jerky is not a bad consolation prize.

Is it bad to freeze most meats until you use them?