University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County
COOK IT
QUICK

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Alice Henneman, MS, RD
ahenneman1@unl.edu
Extension Educator & Dietitian
University of Nebraska Cooperative
Extension in Lancaster County

Joyce Jensen, REHS
jjensen@ci.lincoln.ne.us
Environmental Health Specialist
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department

Will Reheating Make Food Safe
if You Forget to Refrigerate It?

If you reheat food that was forgotten on the counter overnight or was left out all day, will it be safe to eat?

TWO HOURS is the MAXIMUM time perishable foods should be at room temperature. This INCLUDES the time they're on the table during your meal. Just ONE bacterium, doubling every 20 minutes, can grow to over 2,097,152 bacteria in 7 hours!

Perishable foods include:

  • Meat, poultry, seafood and tofu
  • Dairy products
  • Cooked pasta, rice and vegetables
  • Fresh, peeled and/or cut fruits and vegetables.

Reheating food may not make it safe. If food is left out too long, some bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus (staph), can form a heat-resistant toxin that cooking can't destroy.

One of the most common sources of staph bacteria is the human body. Even healthy people carry staph -- according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Bad Bug Book," <vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap3.html> staph bacteria are present in the nasal passages and throats and on the hair and skin of 50 percent or more of healthy individuals. Staph bacteria is found in facial blemishes, cuts and lesions.

Most likely, the only way you'll know if a food contained staph bacteria is when someone gets sick.

food safety for home cooking

Click HERE for more information on food safety

 

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Developed By:

Alice C. Henneman, MS, RD
Extension Educator
University of Nebraska
Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County

Fax: (402) 441-7148
Phone: (402) 441-7180
E-Mail: ahenneman1@unl.edu
Web site: lancaster.unl.edu/food

Use Of These Materials:

You may reproduce these materials for educational purposes but not for sales purposes. You're also welcome to link to "Cook It Quick" from your website. Please credit: COOK IT QUICK!, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension (lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq.htm)

Use of commercial and trade names does not imply approval or constitute endorsement by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension. Nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned.

For more information about preparing healthy meals, contact your local University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Office; for the location of the office nearest you, click here. For a listing of Cooperative Extension Offices throughout the United States, click here.

Address: 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE 68528-1507, Phone: 402-441-7180

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