When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

You cannot see or smell bacterial contamination. Mold that appears to be growing only on the surface may grow invisible roots into softer foods. Do not rely on a visual inspection or “smell test” to tell you whether or not a food is safe.

The Danger Zone

Potentially hazardous food that stays in the temperature “danger zone”, 40-140 °F (4-60 °C), for more than 2 hours should be discarded. (Note: this is the FDA’s rule. Other agencies may have variations on it. Additionally, government agencies generally make very conservative recommendations—they’re trying to make sure that no one who follows the rules gets sick. Breaking the rules means maybe taking on some risk. That’s up to you—just remember, eventually someone gets unlucky, and food poisoning is not fun.)

Follow the 2:4 Rule to Store and Enjoy Leftovers Safely

Cooking a large meal and then saving the leftovers is a great way to save time and hassle cooking…

Potentially hazardous foods are those foods that spoil most easily, such as unshelled eggs, raw meats, fish, shell fish, dairy products, almost all cooked foods. This time is cumulative, so it includes time bringing the food home from the grocery store, time before cooking, time after cooking, and so on. The reason is that while cooking may destroy bacteria or other pathogens, it doesn’t always destroy the toxins that they have produced.

So in general, regarding perishable foods like meat, most dairy, unshelled eggs and shell eggs in the US, cooked casseroles, and so on: If the food (or its perishable components) have been at room temperature for more than two hours, you should discard that food. To avoid the danger zone, keep cooked food hot until ready to eat, then refrigerate immediately. Separate large items into smaller containers to help them to cool more quickly. If you’re defrosting something, do it in the fridge or under cold running water.