At what point is eating left-overs or perishables not just daring but dumb? [closed]

At what point is eating left-overs or perishables not just daring but dumb? [closed] - Point of View of a Person Eating Breakfast

I am a college student who is sometimes a foodie, sometimes a garbage disposal. There is plenty of good food that some of my peers would turn their noses up at. But sometimes I wonder if this is not just disgusting, but actually bad for my health.

Food service standards are not what I am looking for here. Those are already clearly too stringent to me. Rather, I am looking for some rules of thumb about when I should not just cut or scrape the bad parts but trash the whole thing.

food-safety


Best Answer

When in doubt, throw it out. It's cheaper than a hospital visit.

If you are wanting to save money, be proactive and find out the best way to store each food, and how long it can be stored.

Some things lose taste and texture as they age (even in the proper environment), while some things begin to grow dangerous kinds of bacteria or molds. For example, hard dry bread gets turned into french toast. Moldy bread gets thrown away.



Pictures about "At what point is eating left-overs or perishables not just daring but dumb? [closed]"

At what point is eating left-overs or perishables not just daring but dumb? [closed] - Girl being fed by her Mother
At what point is eating left-overs or perishables not just daring but dumb? [closed] - Man being Fed by his Partner
At what point is eating left-overs or perishables not just daring but dumb? [closed] - Woman in White Tank Top Holding a Bowl of Vegetable Salad


When should you not eat leftovers?

Leftovers can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator. Be sure to eat them within that time. After that, the risk of food poisoning increases. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them immediately.

Are leftovers good after 7 days?

According to the FDA Food Code, all perishable foods that are opened or prepared should be thrown out after 7 days, maximum. No leftovers should survive in your fridge for longer than that. Some foods should be even be thrown away before the 7 day mark.

How long keep leftovers chart?

Cold Food Storage ChartFoodTypeRefrigerator (40 \xb0F or below)Soups and stewsVegetable or meat added3 to 4 daysLeftoversCooked meat or poultry3 to 4 daysChicken nuggets or patties3 to 4 daysPizza3 to 4 days49 more rows•Sep 20, 2021

What is the longest perishable food could be left out at room temperature to still be considered safe?

The FDA recommends that all perishables left at room temperature for more than two hours be discarded. Bacteria grow most rapidly between 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), doubling in amount every 20 minutes.



More answers regarding at what point is eating left-overs or perishables not just daring but dumb? [closed]

Answer 2

Yeah, seriously. When in doubt, throw it out:

  • if it has become moldy. Old wisdom was that with cheese, just scrape away the mold and you're fine. Problem is, mold spores can penetrate very deep, and some of them can be toxic.

  • if it is soft and squidgy when it should be firm, and vice versa.

  • any visible rot. With potatoes, cutting it away is fine. With small fruits, I wouldn't bother.

  • any off-odour. Contrary to common knowledge, you cannot always detect spoilage via your nose. But you can guarantee that anything that smells bad is bad.

  • slime or ooze.

  • if it is a dangerous material (raw meat, dairy, etc) and is well past its best before date. One day after? Maybe okay; it's your digestive tract. Much more than that? No.

Answer 3

If you don't remember when you got it, throw it out.

My general rule is 1 week.

Answer 4

Controversial answer, but: if it doesn't taste good. Spoiled food is disgusting in texture (mealy, slimy), taste (pungent, bitter, chemical), and smell (rotten, sour, noxious).

Any food more than a day old should really be reheated anyway. But don't reheat something that doesn't taste good beforehand.

In short, don't go by rules. Go by looks and your senses.

p.s. Don't smell or taste more than necessary to test the product.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Pavel Danilyuk, Nicola Barts, RODNAE Productions, Karolina Grabowska

Related Questions