Britain: Eating leftovers can be a great way to save money, diversify recipes, and reduce food waste. But eating leftover food can also be risky, because it also comes in contact with bacteria. If you do not store leftover food properly and do not heat it properly, you may become vulnerable to food poisoning, which can also be fatal. This does not mean that you should give up eating leftovers. By following proper food handling practices, you can ensure that you stay safe when you eat leftovers.
How soon to put leftover food in the fridge?
Bacteria are everywhere in our world, including kitchens and the foods stored within them. Food spoilage bacteria can grow rapidly with nutrients, moisture and temperature. Some double in number in 20 minutes. It is important to put leftover food into the fridge or freezer as soon as possible and within a maximum of two hours. This time advice is based on how fast bacteria can grow in food at temperatures outside the fridge and may mean that leftovers have been left out at temperatures above 5°C for longer periods of time So it becomes less safe for consumption. You should ensure that leftover food is covered well. Food should be covered with plastic foil or an ‘airtight’ lid that prevents the food from coming in contact with air. This is important because many bacteria need oxygen to grow.
How long is it safe to eat leftover food kept in the fridge?
Keep your refrigerator at a temperature between zero and five degrees, because this temperature prevents the growth of bacteria in leftover food that cause food poisoning. Leftover food should be eaten within two days, because after this, harmful bacteria get time to grow. In fact, germs like Listeria can grow even in refrigerator temperatures and are more likely to grow after more than two days, which is why you have been given this time limit for storing leftover food. If you don’t think you’ll eat your leftovers in that time frame, consider freezing the food. Leftover food can be frozen at a temperature below minus 18 degrees Celsius and can be kept for up to three months. When you reheat leftovers, you should make sure the food is hot throughout. If this does not happen then do not eat the food. Leftover food should be heated to a point where the internal temperature of the food is at least 74 degrees Celsius. It is best to boil chutneys, soups and gravies completely while stirring for at least three minutes. These methods will kill most bacteria and inactivate other substances that cause toxicity. Even when heating in the microwave, care should be taken that the internal temperature of the food becomes 74 degrees Celsius.
Can you reheat leftover food more than once?
You should not reheat leftover food more than once. Whenever food is heated and cooled, it provides the right temperature and time necessary for any harmful bacteria to grow again. This will make it harder to kill all the germs the next time you reheat leftover food. If you don’t think you’ll eat all your leftover food within two days, freeze it in the freezer.
Can you reheat packaged food?
Whether you can safely reheat packaged food depends on how you stored it. If you kept it warm in the back of your car or left it out at room temperature in the house for more than two hours, the food could pose a risk of food poisoning—especially if you’ve already touched it or have it partially cooked. Have eaten since. But if you have not touched the food much and kept it in the refrigerator within two hours of purchasing, then it is safe to reheat the food. Saving cooked rice dishes is probably the riskiest. Raw rice may contain spores of Bacillus cereus, which causes food poisoning. The root bacteria are killed when rice is cooked, but its spores can survive the temperature of boiling water. If rice is not kept in the refrigerator within two to three hours after cooking, bacteria can grow and spoil the rice, which can cause problems like diarrhea, stomach ache and vomiting. (The Conversation)
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