How long does summer cooked food last outside the refrigerator? What happens when you reheat it?
Many people do not refrigerate food after cooking in the summer and reheat it to eat at night, thinking it is safe. But how true is this belief?
Not much, Scientists at the University of Nebraska have answered, in Lincoln. Perishable foods and cooked foods can last a maximum of 2 hours at room temperature, they emphasize. But when it is very hot in the kitchen (temperature above 32 degrees), they don’t last even 1 hour.
In fact, that includes the time it takes to finish your meal!
Even if there is 1 bacteria in the foodthey report doubling every 20 minutes. In 7 hours or 420 minutes 2,097,152 bacteria can grow in food!
But which foods are considered perishable? They are many and include:
- Meat, poultry, seafood and tofu
- Dairy products
- Baked pasta, rice and vegetables
- Fresh, peeled and/or chopped fruits and vegetables
Great danger
The big problem with reheating food is that even if it has been reboiled, there is no guarantee that it is safe. If left out of the refrigerator for a long time, certain bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, will have the opportunity to produce a heat-resistant toxin. So even if you boil your food again, the toxin will not be destroyed.
Staphylococcus is a common bacteria present in the body of many people. This was reported by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). at least 50% of healthy people are its carriers. They can be found on the nose and throat, as well as acne on the face, sores and scrapes (scratches) on the skin.
Even worse, it is impossible to know in advance if your food is contaminated with staph. Only you will know when someone is sickexperts say.
Critical temperatures
To keep your food safe, you must keep it away from dangerous temperatures, Scientists of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) emphasize US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
As they explained, bacteria grow rapidly at temp Between 4 and 60 degrees. So when food is cooked, food is safe as long as it is kept at a temperature above 60 degrees to prevent the growth of bacteria.
It should go to the refrigerator no more than 2 hours after you take it out of the oven. To cool down faster, divide the rest into smaller bowls. Also divide large pieces of food (for example, a large piece of meat or dough) into portions.
You can put it on to quickly cool down hot food in a metal container. Then put it on a baking sheet with ice. Refrigerate immediately after cooling slightly, FSIS advises