Have you ever eaten a slice of pizza from a box that was on the counter overnight? Had such a relaxed brunch that a few hours later you started snacking on eggs and bacon at the table for a second round? Food safety experts say that this type of behavior is discouraged and is a recipe for a foodborne illness.
How long can food rest safely?
After you've prepared dinner, ordered takeout, or packed leftovers from a restaurant meal, that meal should be stored in the refrigerator within two hours. And, if the outside temperature is warm, that time is reduced. When it reaches 32ºC, food can only be safely left out for one hour; keep that in mind at your next picnic.
There's a very good reason for this two-hour guideline: foods that are kept at room temperature create a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
Bacteria can grow rapidly in food when left at temperatures between 4 and 60ºC. In fact, that temperature range is generally known as the "danger zone" because it is very conducive to the growth of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli, and Campylobacter.
What about snacks?
Those tips on how long you can leave food out of the fridge also apply to your snacks. Therefore, if you are going to buy food, you should plan your trip so that the market is the last stop just before you return home.
On hot days, put perishable food in the back seat instead of the trunk , so the food can be in an air-conditioned space. You can also store food in a cooler.
Different foods can stay at room temperature at different times. Even if it's in the fridge, food has a different shelf life – while an apple can last for weeks, leftover chicken has a shorter shelf life.
What diseases are transmitted by food?
Anyone who has been the victim of a foodborne illness is very familiar with why it is best avoided: it is painful and unpleasant. The most common symptoms of foodborne illness include diarrhea and / or vomiting, as well as abdominal cramps and pain, nausea, fever, and fatigue.
The precise symptoms of foodborne illness can vary depending on the microorganisms or toxins that were consumed. Botulism, which is caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, can lead to difficulty swallowing and breathing, blurred vision and paralysis, he says.
Something like E. Coli, which can happen when you handle raw ground meat and then cut a watermelon or raw vegetables with the same knife, can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can ultimately lead to kidney failure.
Of course, not all of these cases of foodborne illness are due to food that has been left out for too long; many are the result of undercooked meat or eating products with pathogens. Leafy vegetables, in particular, have been a source of many recent disease outbreaks.
If you think you may have a foodborne illness, tell your doctor or healthcare provider.
Can you reheat the food that you left out?
Even if you reheat leftovers that have been left out of the fridge too long, you cannot guarantee that it will kill harmful bacteria.
Reheating will not destroy all of the potentially harmful bacteria that have grown in the food and neither will freezing or refrigeration (which does not destroy bacteria, only slows the growth rate).
The safest thing is to throw away food that has been left out for a long time. And although everyone knows to be careful with the potato salad at picnics, it is not the only food to consider. Other foods are also problematic, as bacteria like to feed on them.
These are the ones with high carbohydrate and protein content , high moisture content, and a slightly acidic to neutral pH . These include cooked fruits, rice and vegetables, raw or cooked poultry, meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, and tofu and soy-based products.
Is it really dangerous to eat food that is left out?
Many of us have a friend who claims to have an iron stomach. Or maybe it's you: you realize that you are insensitive to stomach problems and have eaten pizza late into the night without having any problems.
Everyone should see themselves as equal when it comes to foodborne illness. That said, people with weaker immune systems , such as young children, older adults, and those who are pregnant or immunosuppressed, can be particularly susceptible to foodborne illness.
But following the two-hour rule is recommended for everyone. Many people may say that they have a 'strong stomach', but we should not play with our health in this way.
So no, you shouldn't eat food that has been left out overnight, no matter how tempting pizza is for breakfast.
