Frequently asked questions about foods left out during food preparation, cooking, and serving:

• How long can the chicken sit inside the oven (at no temperature) before cooking begins, without spoiling?

• In the process of cooking chicken, the pilot on my stove went out. The chicken was partially cooked. It sat out for about an hour, then the piolt light was relit. Within such a short span of time is it safe to continue to cook the chicken?

• While broiling salmon I turned the broiler off after I turned the salmon over to the other side. Twelve minutes later, I realized the broiler was off. I then immediately turned the broiler back on and broiled the salmon. Is the salmon still good to eat?

• I am planning to make garlic chicken stir fry and I need to cook it 6 hours before it will be served. What should I do with the garlic chicken after I've cooked it? Do I put it immediately in the fridge? Do I let it cool then put in the fridge. Do I leave it out until the party?

• Our relatives are planning a pot-luck picnic on Sunday. There is a Baptism at 10:00 am and then the picnic. I am concerned because the temperature outside is going to be between 30-35ºC. Should we be concerned with consuming the food at the picnic? How can we be sure we won't get sick?

• I made some delicious chicken soup in a pressure cooker, but then forgot to put the rest away. From the time I opened the lid to this morning, it was about 10hrs. Is this safe to reheat and eat, or possibly even re-pressurize to kill anything?

• I know that if you leave pizza out for more than 2 hours it can foster dangerous bacteria. But if you cook it at a high enough temperature after that, won’t that kill the bacteria and make it edible again?

• I cooked hamburgers one night and accidently left 2 burgers in the micowave. I gave them to my dog for dinner along with his usual food. Will my dog get sick?

• Can you partially cook chicken in the oven,refrigerate overnight and then barbecue the next day?
• I placed some beef stir-fry strips and potatoes in boiling water (from kettle) in my slow-cooker. I forgot to plug the cooker in. I checked the temperature 2 hours later and it was 115 F. What is the minimum temperature at which the beef would still be safe after it was cooked?
• My daughter ate 1 frozen chicken finger that had been cooked only on one side, not realizing the batch still had to be turned over (cooked 10 min rather than 20). They were warm through, but not hot. Is she likely to be sick, and if so, when? (30 min, 4 hours, 24 hours?) Thank-you.
• I made a marinade out of fresh squeezed orange, lime, and lemon juice with oil and fresh herbs. It ended up sitting on the counter though for approx. 6 hrs. before I used it. Is it still safe to use?
• I cooked veggies and a salmon filet and left it to cool, forgot to put it in the fridge and discovered it at about 6:00am. (cooked around 8:30pm). Is it all garbage or can the veggies at least be salvaged?(broccoli/carrots/baby potatoes)Thanks.
• How long can you leave leftover chicken in the refrigerator?
• I left 2 pkgs of paper wrapped hot dogs and 2 pounds of ground chuck from the meat market in the closed car after I got home for about 40 minutes (temp outside was low 70s) Total of one hour from store. Are they safe to consume?
• I left a carton of eggs in my truck all day. Are they still okay to eat?
• If a pot of sauce with meat was cooked thoroughly and left out to "cool off"...what is the acceptable amount of time it can be left out without getting ruined?
• I cooked half of my chicken cutlets at 3:30p.m. My husband finished cooking one batch and left the rest unfried and raw. The cooked batch had sauce covering most of it, but it was left on the kitchen counter for one hour and 45 minutes. It is a humid summer day and I was wondering if either the uncooked was still ok to fry, and is the cooked that has been sitting out in room temp. okay to eat? Thank you for your response. Donna
• Hello, normally I take out a package of 5-6 chicken drumsticks out of the deep freezer around 10:30 at night and place the package in the sink to defrost. I then put them in the fridge in the morning until I get home from work. This morning I forgot to put the chicken in the fridge, so it will be sitting in the sink at room temperature until I get home at 4:00pm. Will the chicken be safe to eat once it is cooked?
• I left ground beef and chicken in my car overnight.They were frozen. I forgot them. Can you still eat them? The next morning they were a little defrosted I put them in the freezer.
• I put some pieces of beef and ground meat in my freezer that was turned off as I just thawed it and cleaned it.  I left the meat in there and forgot to turn back on the freezer from 8pm until 9am the morning after.  Can I eat the ground meat as well as the other meat?  There is no odour, no change in colour. 
• Is it possible to freeze ground meat?  What is the risk?  Thank you!
• I thawed frozen Spaghetti meat sauce in the fridge. Is it edible after 5 days in the fridge?
• We barbequed chicken breasts and left it in the oven overnight. The oven was not on. Is it safe for my dog to eat?
• I partially cooked pork chops and put in the crock pot. But I forgot to turn on the crock pot, and left for 6 hours. Can I still cook the pork chops at high temperature until very well done, and will they be safe to eat? In other words, can whatever might have grown on the pork chops be "killed or deactivated" with cooking or is it still there to make one sick?
• i cooked chicken in the oven and cooked it with bbq sauce and cheese on top and I left it in the oven for 6 hours. is it still ok?
• I made a pot of fresh chicken soup late last night, but I fell asleep before putting it the refrigerator. It was sitting on the stove for about 4 hours before I woke up and placed the pot in the frig. Could I eat the soup if I boiled it again before consuming it? I don't want to take a chance on getting sick, but hate to throw it away. What should I do?
• Hi!  How long and at what temperature should I keep fish warm in the oven? because my fish has tendency to dry out.  Thanks!
• what three things do bacteria need to grow?
• I put a frozen chicken in my crockpot about 2:00 in the afternoon, but at dinner time 6:30 it was not fully cooked in the middle. I took it out and put it in a ziploc freezer bag and froze it again. Is it safe to finish cooking it and eat it???
• Is it safe to cook and eat chicken that was left in a microwave oven, but didn't use one piece of the chicken, and put that piece back in the fridge?
• I left my grounded beef on the counter for 3 hours after coming in from the butcher shop.  Temperature of the house was about 17 degrees C; so not too warm.  Can I consume the grounded beef?
• I made chicken soup last night, and at 11:00 pm separated the chicken and stock. I left the stock in the pot and put it into the fridge, when I woke up this morning, the outside of the pot was still a bit warm. Did the soup cool down safely?? Can I use the stock?? the chicken meat and veg was not very cold either--should I discard the meat?? Thank you
• I left my ground beef in the car for 5 hours. It is 47 degrees outside. Is it safe to eat?
• Hello, I took frozen boneless breasts of chicken out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge on Tuesday morning, is it safe to now cook this chicken on friday night? it would have been thawed three days in the fridge after being froze? Thanks
• Chili was prepared on the stove last night for a party, then placed in a slow cooker to keep warm during the party - when it cooled down, we placed it in the fridge. Is it safe to pull out and put back in the slow cooker to keep hot and eat on today?
• After I cook chicken breasts , how long after they are cooked do you put the leftovers in the fridge , do you put them in immediately or is there a certain time that you wait to put the leftovers in the fridge, what is the correct time and when is it too long for them to be safe and not have bacteria.
• The temperature in my refrigerator is colder in the front than the back. Our eggs were accidently pushed to the back and froze. Are they still safe to consume if cooked?
• It might be a weird question but, I left a frozen can of juice on the counter overnight and it of course thawed. Is it still good to use.
• I finished cooking a casserole at 7:30 pm and forgot to refrigerate until the next morning 6:30am. Is it still good?
• I left my pot roast in the crock pot and after 3 hours, I realized that the crock pot was off. I then turned it to high and after 3 more hours put it in the oven. Is it safe to eat?
• I left frozen chicken on the counter overnight by mistake. In the morning it was still very cold,but no ice crystals. Can I still cook it throughly?
• My husband cooked a pot of turkey meatballs last night, in a chili/grape jelly sauce. It was left in our crockpot overnight and was room temperature this morning. Can we reheat them and eat them?
• Hello, I have a crock pot with three settings warm, low and high. If I cook something overnight and it's done in the morning instead of unplugging the appliance and waiting for the contents to cool down before refrigerating i often put the pot on warm for the whole workday. It's still okay being on warm all day right?
• Hi there I was just wondering I took a roast out of the freezer yesterday (Nov. 14th) and let it thaw in the fridge, how long can it sit in the fridge before I should cook it and it still be safe to eat? Could I cook on friday if I leave it in the fridge?
• Is fully cooked salmon that has been refrigerated harmful to a dog? mine ate perhaps two or three ounces by accident last night before i knew it.
• I cooked turkey chile with beans in the crock pot last night. Started cool down process 8:30 p.m. chile still warm at 11:30 p.m. Forget to put it in the fridge last night. I placed it in the fridge at 7:00 a.m. Still safe to eat?
• I cooked spaghetti bolognese on Friday and put the leftover sauce in the fridge straight away, Is it safe to eat if I reheat it on high for lunch today (tuesday)?
• I had a bag of chicken that i forgot to put in the freezer, after shopping. It was off to the side. It sat at at room temp for two days. I threw it out immediatly after finding it from the smell. It had leaked throught the plastic bag onto the carpet. I cleaned the carpet but is it possible to get sick from any airborne bacteria?
• Hi!  I would like to know if eating raw eggs (without cooking them) is dangerous or not?
• My hotdogs were in the freezer set at medium thermostat for 10hrs. After that, it was turned off for 14 hrs. Are the hotdogs still safe to eat? For only how long can personal refs (2.4 cubic feet)be turned off so that it can still maintain the proper temperature for the food to be kept safe and still edible to eat? Thanks.
• My husband decided to marinade chicken breasts with vinegar (and other spices), in the marinade, he forgot it out all night and put it in the fridge in the morning... he says the vinegar should have kept the chicken "fine" to cook and eat today, is that true?
• One place says to cook all ground meats i.e. beef, chicken, BEFORE putting into crock pot; another site on internet says not necessary. which is correct for safe eating? thanks much!
• Is it safe to use cream cheese dated 7 months ago, that has never been opened or taken out of the fridge, and then use it in a recipe where it is baked at 350 for 20 minutes?
• I accidentally left my stewed meat (still in the package) on the table overnight. Is it still ok to cook..?
• I got a chicken caesar sandwich from a takeout place and left it in my car for about 3 hours. Outside the temperature was between 30-35 F. Is it still okay to eat?
• I know that hotdogs are always cooked, so I was wondering if I boiled my hotdogs 6 days ago and have had them refrigerated- can I eat them now after being in the fridge for a week?
• My favourite crock pot recipe book suggests browning the meat and assembling stews, etc. the night before, refrigerating for no more than 12 hours, then popping the crock into the cooker in the morning. Recently I heard that this method may be unsafe. Say it ain't so!
• How long can you keep spaghetti and meatsauce in the fridge once its cooked??
• It is 2:30 pm.  We will eat at 5:00 pm.  I have a chicken well done in the oven.  Can I hold it there between 150 degrees F and 200 degrees F?  It is not covered, should I cover it?
• I brought a whole chicken from the supermarket and I forgot it on the front patio (which is shaded)and my wife who saw it 5 hours later brought it inside the house. She said that the chicken was at room temperature and she put it in the freezer. Is it okay to consume it?
• I was making skillet stew. The meat was braised and simmered with seasoning. I added the veggies and put it on low for 3 hours. When I came back, the burner was not working and the gravy was luke warm. I cooked it again for 1 hour on high. Is it still OK to eat??
• I have two questions: 1. I cook off five chicken breasts and a pot of rice every Sunday night to take as lunches for the upcoming work week. I place them in individual serving containers and refrigerate them all immediately. By Friday is it still safe to eat the leftovers? 2. After cooking the chicken, I place it in the fridge when it is still hot. This produces a large build up of moisture in the container. Is this a problem; if so how can I stop it?
• I started to defrost ground beef on the counter and about 3 hours later we changed our mind as to what we were eating. I put it in the fridge 2 days ago. Is it still good? (Now I know to not defrost on the counter at all.)
• I left tuna casserole out on the counter after removing from the oven @11pm till 7am is it still good if I put it in the refridgerator
• Can I cook a whole chicken from the frozen state.  I know people that do this and they tell me that the chicken tastes very good.  I have the impression that it is best not to do this.  I am awaiting for your opinion. Thank you
• I had cooked chicken, and forgot to put it in the fridge. My husband put it in the fridge four hours later, and meant to ask me if I needed to throw it out or not. The next night my daughter and I snacked on it, not realizing that I had left it out the night before!!! What can we expect for an illness????
• I took a frozen whole chicken out early afternoon and forgot it until 9am next day. Is it safe to eat if I cook it 3 hours?
• How long can frozen salmon filet 3/4 inch thick, thawed in the refrigerator, be good to cook and eat?
• It's stated regularly by you and many others that cooked food should not be left on the counter for more than 2 hours. What if it hasn't cooled sufficiently in 2 hours? Should you leave it out until it is cold, or refrigerate whilst still slightly warm?
• How long is it to keep fresh eggs safe after the past due date on the carton ?
• I placed a frozen roast in my luggage at 7:00 pm. my luggage was lost and then i retrieved it at 4:00 pm. the next day, it was still very cold to the touch and partially frozen, especially the center. Can I still cook it and eat it?
• I partially cooked ribs last night and put them in the fridge, is it ok to finish cooking today?
• I left baked ziti in my car overnight for about 8 hours is it save to eat?
• Can you eat cold chicken the next day after being cooked and left in the oven.
• I made a spaghetti bolognese last night, let it on the side overnight, and have now recooked it for two and a half hours on a high heat. Is it ok to eat?
• i put lamb in freezer at night 9pm and in the morning i put it in fridge the whole day and i put it outside the fridge for four hour and put back in freezer is the lamb is safe?
• We did a rotisserie chicken on Sunday and ate some of the leftovers Monday. It's Wednesday and I've heated the chicken through again, hoping to extend it for sandwiches on Thursday. Thursday is the fourth day out. Well, not quite four since my inquiry concerns having it for lunch tomorrow. Will Sunday dinner chicken, re-cooked Wednesday and cooled again, be good for Thursday lunch.
• When a hot chicken is bought from the Supermarket, is it best to let it cool down (within the 2 hours)and then put it in the fridge or should it be put in the fridge straight away?
• After cooking a chicken,is it ok to put directly in the fridge(while still hot and just out of the oven), to have cold chicken later?
• Hello, I cooked tomato sauce and sausage in the crock pot. It was fully cooked, so I transferred it to a bowl to cool. I left it out overnight and then the whole day I was at work, should I throw it away?
• How long can you keep salmon in the freezer?
• I have a cooked pot roast that has been in the refrig for one week. Is it still safe to eat?
• I bought two packages of hot dogs and forgot to put them in the refrigerator. I left them on the counter for about two and a half hours when I realized it they weren't very cold, can they still be eaten?
• We left the chicken legs in a warm oven for three hours. we had shut the oven off at 7 and came back at 10 and found out that we left them in the oven is the chicken still good the temperature was 100 in the core of the chicken legs are they still good.
• I put a frozen box of 50 hot dogs in the fridge on Sunday and I want to cook them Friday. I'm thinking they are fine, even though they probably have defrosted by Tues. They have never left the fridge. Am I safe?
• I cooked boneless ribs in a pressure cooker and forgot to put them in the refrigerator until five hours later. Are they still alright to eat?
• I am an American living in Germany. In the stores here, they do not refrigerate eggs but leave them on the shelf. I think it is not safe, but they say it's unsafe to put them in the fridge because at some point during delivery and sales they may be taken out of refrigeration and that is much more unsafe (getting hot and cold). What is true?
• I made baked ziti and put it in the fridge right away. How many days is it good for?
• What is the temp to be in the refrigerator to keep food safe?
• I bought cream cheese and forgot to put it in the fridge. It was left out all night. Is it safe to use?
• I made a big dutch oven full of baked beans with cooked hamburger and bacon. After baking it in the oven for 1 hr., I had to leave, so, I took the dutch oven and directly put it in the fridge. When I got home several hours later, the beans were still warm. Is it safe to eat?
• I ate leftovers, including meat, seafood and rice that apparently had been sitting out overnight. What action should I take now?
• I didn't know that the refrigerater wasn't working properly. I put cream cheese, cheddar cheese and pepperoni in the refrigerator.The temperature in the refrigerator was 60 degrees F (15 degrees C) for 24 hours. Should I discard all the food?
• I bought some summer sausage at a market around 10 in the morning and it was sitting in the trunk of my car until 4:00 when I got home. It does say to keep it refrigerated, but will it still be good? It was about 30 degrees out today.
• I took (smoked) cook chicken home from a restaurant. It was left in the car approximately 3 hrs. Is it still safe to eat? And if I heat it up in microwave will that help conditions. 
• My husband & I are having a disagreement about hotdogs. He was given 20# of beef franks about a month ago. I gave a 10# box away & I fixed several for dinner & put the rest in the fridge for a few days & then stuck them in the freezer. My husband says that hotdogs can stay for a couple months in the fridge. Please tell me who's right. 
• I left my eggs out all day,can I still use them in baking?
• I bought some refrigerated raw chicken pieces (legs and breasts) at the grocery store and put it into the freezer right away. Then I left it to thaw in my fridge. How soon after I put it into my fridge do I need to cook it? I saw a similar question but I think the person had bought the chicken frozen (unlike me) so I wasn't sure if the answer applied. Thanks!!  Also, I've heard that you must freeze raw refrigerated chicken/chicken pieces within 1-2 days of buying it. However, is it allright to wait 1-2 days after the "sell by" date since technically one could have bought it on that day. Thanks!
• My daughter and I ate out for lunch. At 12:30, I had her put the leftovers in the fridge (chicken fettucini alfredo), and we went shopping. When we returned at 5:00, I was starving and ate some of the leftovers, which still tasted warm (it turns out she did not close the refrigerator door tightly). I ate quite a bit before realizing why the food was still warm. What are the chances of getting sick from that?
• If a fresh hog was cooked on a smoker and left out at room temperature for 4 hours is this safe to eat
• Hi! I took out some frozen chicken legs and let them thaw in the sink. I forgot them overnight and I was wondering if they would be safe to cook for my dog?
• My male friend routinely cooks up a big pot of vegetarian bean soup or tomato sauce, then leaves it out at room temperature all day, saying it's fine to eat since the pot lid was on tight. Once it's refrigerated he keeps eating from it for up to a week. I won't eat at his house, since I don't think it's safe to eat, but he seldom (if ever)gets sick from his own cooking. What's your advice regarding how he keeps the food?
• I have friends who leave their butter out in room temperature, even on hot sunny days, and never refrigerate it, because they like keeping it soft. I won't eat butter kept unrefrigerated, but often wonder if their's gets contaminated.
• I always prepare too much marinade for my meat that I cook on the barbecue.  Can I freeze the extra marinade that has not touch the meat?
• There were some frozen chicken fingers that I thought were cooked, so I just heated them up. I ate one, then discovered that it wasn't fully cooked. Am I going to get sick? Thanks.
• I put a raw chicken in the freezer six month ago.  Is it still good to eat?
• I brought chicken drumsticks 4 days ago and promptly refrigerated them. The sell date was one day ago. Is it safe to cook them?
• Forgot to put milk away after I brought it home. It was out about 12 hrs. Is it drinkable?
• I left two whole chickens on my basement counter to finish thawing last night & didn't realize it till this morning. Can I still boil them & chop up the meat for my dog?
• When we prepare a chicken broth by boiling for example, some chicken breasts and we add carrots, celery and oinons;  a lot of people eat the chicken, keep the broth and throw away the carrots, oinons, etc. Are those vegetables unsafe to eat?
• If soup has been left out overnight, why does reboiling it not kill any harmful bacteria that may have grown? Thanks.
• I prepared a roast with potatoes, carrots, beef broth and onions in the crock pot and put the lid on this morning at 10:00. I realized at 2pm that I forgot to plug in the pot..Is the roast still good since it's submerged in broth or should I throw it out?
• I seen quite often some restaurants leaving their chicken or fish breaded mix at room temperature even when it has been in contact with raw meat or fish.  I think that once the mixture has been in contact with raw meat or fish, it should be refrigerated or changed often (every two hours).  Am I right?
• Hi!  I forgot in the trunk of my car for 4 hours some ground meat, some vacuum packed steaks and ready-to-use pizza crusts.  Would those products be dangerous if consumed?  Thanks!
• I made a noodle pudding with butter, sugar and eggs but it was left out all night. the pudding was throughly cooked. can I refrigerate and eat it?
• I bought a frozen turkey joint, took it home but realised my freezer had defrosted, i cleaned it out and out it on deep freeze and put the new food in the freezer. the food would have been out of the freezer for about an hour, would the turkey and other food be ok to eat?
• My sis-in-law partially cooks chicken in the oven then lets it sit for several hours with the oven off then has my brother put it on the BBQ for 15 minutes, is it safe to eat?
• I bought a small frozen turkey last night and put it in cold water in the laundry sink. I forgot it overnight. It was totally frozen 9 hours ago. Is it safe to cook?
• I browned and then baked some beef ribs smothered in BBQ sauce last night. I realized in the afternoon that I had left them on the counter to cool and didn't get them in the refrigerator until right before I got home from work today. They were fully cooked. Doesn't the acid in the sauce keep bacteria from forming? If I reheat them to a high enough temperature, will they be okay to eat?
• I purchased 1kg of ground beef 8 days ago and placed it in the "cool box" of my refridgerator. I cannot say just how cool this "cool box" is, but when I removed the beef today it was partially frozen. I know now I should have just tossed it in the freezer to begin with, but is this now a total loss? Can I cook it or should I toss it?
• I hear you say all the time not to leave food in the danger zone for more than 2 hours and I use a crock pot all the time. My question is since the crock pots are supposed to cook slowly are they safe to use on low setting even if you follow the directions and never use frozen meat?
• Hi!  Since Friday night I am marinating chicken in yogurt and spices.  I cooked it this morning (Sunday) in its marinade.  Is this food safe to consume?  Thanks!
• I have a large container of homemade chicken soup in my freezer. Can I defrost it, perhaps use a bit of it, put the remainder in smaller containers and refreeze. Can chicken soup be refrozen?
• I cooked cakes containing eggs and egg whites, are they okay to leave out and not refrigerate them? Also, is cream cheese icing okay to leave out and not refrigerate?
• HOW LONG IS COOKED SALMON SAFE TO EAT IF KEPT REFRIGERATED
• Cooked chicken was left in the microwave for 2 and half days and was eaten by mistake is there anything you can do before you start to feel ill.
• I have prepared pickled beets.  Can I freeze them instead of sealing them in jars and sterilized them?
• Is it safe to make pizza crusts on the pan and let them rise covered with a plastic food bag without refrigeration for longer than 2 hours?
• I accidently left an unopened package of bacon out on the counter all night and was wondering if it was still safe to eat due to all of the preservatives in it ?
• Hi!  I purchased some roasted quails Saturday night.  They were probably pulled out of the oven few hours before.  I wrapped them in aluminium foil then in a Saran Wrap and put them in the refrigerator.  Would they still be good for Wednesday night (that will be 4 days after purchase) if I cook them on the stove at high temperature?  Thank you!
• How long can a fresh turkey remain in fridge before cooking?
• I left a baked ziti out all night and put it in the fridge in the morning. It has cheese,pasta and ground beef. Is it still good?
• I buy raw mussels.  On the batch that I have purchased, some are opened and do not close themselves during cleaning.  Are they risky to consume? Should I throw them away?
• this morning, I realized my fridge door had been cracked all night long. I don't know what the temp in the fridge was but the drinks had "sweat" on them and I noticed water running down the walls of the fridge. Should I discard the food in there?
• Left frozen dinners and entres in car while visiting sick daughter for 3-4 hours ...they still seemed to be frozen as I opened one of them...are they still safe to eat...yikes...did this two times in two weeks...like Banquet and Mechilina mac & cheese and chili beef...and beef with gravy...Everyone tells me I am too paranoid about foods...also there were chicken breasts and smoked fully cooked ham steaks...thanks
• How long can I keep homemade baked beans in the fridg after they are cooked.
• If it is 35 degrees outside and I left a turkey, butter, cottage cheese and eggs in the trunk for five and 1/2 hours is it like being refrigerated? Nothing was soft and it was still cold to the touch.
• I accidentally left my freshly made cherry tomatoes stuffed with ricotta cheese palter out overnight (8 hours). Are they still ok to eat? I normally don't refrigerate tomatoes, but these had been hollowed out and stuffed.
• When my father-in-law cooks his Christmas turkey he stores the leftovers in the oven overnight, then expects us to eat it for dinner the next day. This is not safe, correct? I am the only one who thinks so. Of course I don't eat any.
• I half defrosted some ground beef in the microwave but forgot about it over night...this morning I put it back in the fridge as it was fully defrosted. My husband fried up the meat and added it to some kraft dinner for lunch. Was it dangerous for us to eat it?
• My refrigerator was turned off for 24 hrs. The food in the freezer was still frozen...of the ice cream was very soft. How about the milk, eggs, cheese in the frig? Should I not question and just throw them away? I drank some egg nog and it seems fine. Thanks.
• i made a pea soup in the crockpot overnight and then my husband didn't put it in the fridge (as i had asked) but put it on "warm" for the whole day. If it stayed on warm for all but two hours at the end of the day, is it safe to eat?
• What happens if you eat a contaminated egg?
• I bought Chicken from the store on Saturday night, brought home, into the fridge. Plans changed and I forgot to put in freezer. By Tuesday, I wanted to cook it,but again, couldn't get to it. Wednesday morning there was a foul odor from the package itself, but once the chicken had been washed -- was ok. Is it too late to cook it? I hate to waste all that good meat -- 6 pieces!
• I have precooked Spinach Lasagna. As I put the lasagna together meat sauce cooled during preparation time. I then froze my lasagna. Ingredients whole wheat noodles, spaghtti sauce, ground beef, spinach, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese. I have premade my lasagna to save time. I want to serve my tasty dish in a few days. I plan to take frozen lasagna out of freezer and partially thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours. I will then bake the lasagna at 350 degrees F for one hour. My question is this, have I followed the food safety code? Is there anything that you would suggest in making this meal as safe as it can be to serve? Thank you for your response.
• Hi. About 2 hours ago; i ate a few bites of mashed potatoes which were in a pan and covered from last night's dinner. Was that safe to eat? And will I get sick?
• I left chicken to thaw out in cold water in the kitchen sink last night, I woke up at 7:00am the water was still very cold is the chicken still good to cook today?
• I cooked spaghetti in a crock pot last night. Started cooling at about 9pm and forgot to put in fridge until about 7am. Is it safe to eat?
• I left baked beans with cooked bacon in them on the counter overnight. Are they still good to eat?
• Hi, I cooked barbecue ribs and a pot roast with potatoes last night, for a dinner party. My husband forgot to put both meals in the refrigerator! Is this food safe to eat?
• I left a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing on the counter for about 3 hours. Is it stil ok to eat with the cream cheese icing?
• Can you reheat grilled salmon
• I prepared chuck roast last night before going to bed with veggies for the crock pot. I placed them in the crock pot (I guess being tired) with the cold water and did not turn it on until this morning. The house is relatively cool and the pot was sealed with the cold water/veggies in it.  Is this ok as it was cooking on high all day?
• Hi!  I would like to gain some time in the preparation of a slow cooked meal in a slow cooker.  Therefore, can I brown my beef cubes the night before, put those cubes along with vegetables and broths in the slow cooker dish in the refrigerator.  The morning after, put the dish in the slow cooker, set it at low and let it go for 10 hours.  Would that be hazardous?  Thank you!
• I left unopened frozen garlic bread out overnight on accident. When found, I tossed it into the freezer. Should this be okay after cooking in the oven at the 400 degree F instructions?
• We went to the store and bought 1/2 the store. Mostly frozen foods like chicken pot pies, lasagna, pizza rolls (& combination pizzas), & veggies...etc.. stayed in the car (around 65 F) for about 5 hours while we could not leave our friends. Are there (and if so what) risks are there from poisoning from refreezing?
• Bought ribs put into fridge at zero celcius. How long can uncooked ribs stay in fridge?
• How long can mashed potatoes be kept in the fridge?
• We left our cooked Easter ham on the counter,covered w/aluminulm foil overnight. Is it safe to eat, or should we trash it?
• I made Lasagna last night and we ate it at 6:30 pm. I set it on the counter to cool off because it was way to hot to put in refrigerator at that time. (is it true you should not put it in the fridge if it's too hot)? I woke at 8 am and saw it still on the counter,:( is it still good? I'm pretty sure it's garbage, right? Thanks Diane
• How long can hot foods be kept in a warmer?
• I left cream-based tomato soup out overnight. Is it safe to eat if I reheat it well?
• I took a package of frozen chicken breasts out at 7am yesterday morning. I wasn't feeling well, and fell asleep when I got home from work. I just saw the chicken still in it's package, thawed on the counter. It is 9am the next day. Do I throw out- or is it safe to feed the dog with or cook at a high temperature?
• I took a package of frozen chicken breasts out at 7am yesterday morning. I wasn't feeling well, and fell asleep when I got home from work. I just saw the chicken still in it's package, thawed on the counter. It is 9am the next day. Do I throw out- or is it safe to feed the dog with or cook at a high temperature?
• I left raw pork out for a few hours at room temp. will it be ok to eat after it has been cooked?
• My daughter bought a ring of smoked meat and a pack of smoked weiners she forgot them at work over night would they still be ok to eat because they are smoked?
• My husband wrapped smoked ribs right from the smoker in tinfoil and towels and put them in a ice chest to stay warm. He forgot about them till the next day (apx 15 hours).They were still warm from the wrapping. Are they safe to eat?
• I left an unopen package of hotdogs in the microwave over night are they any good? It doesnt say to refrigerate.
• Forgot to refrigerate hamburger that was thawing. It was left all day and no longer cold when I returned from work, discard the meat?
• My husband forgot to put some fresh caught fish in the freezer and were left out overnight are they still ok to eat or not?
• Did a stupid thing! Had made Hamburger Helper, but had to go out before it cooled and I could refrigerate it. It sat for five hours in a frying pan with a lid on it before I noticed it! I put it into the fridge and had half a place of it for lunch the next day, which was 16 hours ago. Will I still get sick from it? I normally throw things out, but did not this time!
• Thank you for answering my last question regarding leaving hamburger helper in frying pan with lid for 5 1/2 hours. My question now is, what symptoms do I keep an eye out for?
• I brought home a beef rib bone for my dog two days ago and forgot to give it to her. It has been sitting out since then. Is it safe to give the rib to my dog?
• Is it safe to eat a foil wrapped baked potato that was left out on the counter overnight if it is reheated properly?
• Just curious as to how long a typical bag lunch can stay out at room temperature before being considered a health and safety risk with accordance to the food and safety act.
• My pork ribs were thawed for 8 hrs. at room temp. Are they still ok??
• My daughter accidently left fresh beef ribs on the counter all night. When she woke up the next morning she put it in the freezer right away. Is that safe to eat?
• We had baked potatoes last nite. We left the unused ones out to cool and forgot to put them in the refrigerator. They were greeting me this morning! I put them in the fridge but I was hoping you would respond before tonight's supper.  Are they OK to eat tonight?
• I cooked a 8 qt pan of chili and when i went to bed at 10:30 it was still boiling left it out and put in refrigerator at 6:30 will it still be good to eat? thank you
• I cooked a whole chicken and when I went to strip it I found it had giblets that were in the center in some sort of bag? Is it still safe to feed my dog?
• I have a cupboard that gets quite warm in the summer, is it safe to keep canned goods in it?
• I baked potatoes in the oven and then forgot about them at a dinnerparty the next evening i saw them in there and ate one...stomach is killing me any suggestions?
• I put a pork roast in the oven pre heated to 425. I reduced the heat to 350 and set the timer. After just under two hours I noticed the oven had turned off. Is it still safe to cook the roast and eat it?
• I cooked a pork roast last night and took it out about 11:00pm. It was left out over night. I realized it this morning and put in the fridge. The bottom was still warm. Is it O.K. to eat?
• We heard baout the recall of some cheese that we could have bought and has been contaminated by Listeria.  Should we throw away foods that are in the refrigerator such as vegetables and fruits?  Cheese was well wrapped in bags for the refrigerator.  Thank you!
• I made vegetarian soup using lots of spices. i turned off the burner of the stove at approx. 1am. Its 0900 (am) and the soup is still warm. i didnt put any meat in it..only veggies,beans .. is it ok to eat? also, my friend thinks eggs are ok at room temp. he bought a carton 3days ago and the eggs are still on the counter..not gooo to eat right? thanks for your help! d
• I had left the question about the split pea soup left out overnight....I meant to also say there is no meat in in the soup, and it was covered all night. Does that make a difference?
• I cooked Hamburger Helper on Sunday (two days ago), ate some and left the rest in a covered casserole in the fridge. Is it still safe to eat?
• I bought a quail that I cooked and pulled out of the stove at around 11 pm.  My husband put it in the refrigerator at 6 am.  It has stayed at room temperature for 5 hours but when he put it in the refrigerator, it was lukewarm.  Can we eat it?
• I left a box full of chicken in the freezer and the freezer was left open. The next day I came and checked and the chicken was warm.. Can i cook the chicken?
• What are the risks if i cooked frozen meat that was left at room tempurature overnight?
• I boiled 3 whole chickens and turned the burner off after they were fully cooked. I left them in the hot water for 3 hours before refrigerating, are they okay to eat?
• Can leaving cooked food uncovered overnight in the microwave,cause a moldy smell...or is that from food splatter?
• I cooked a huge pot of veggie soup most of yesterday, and finally added some cooked chicken to it and cooked a few hours longer...then i turned it off but it was too hot to put in ice box...i fell asleep for 4 hours and then woke up and put the soup in ice box...will it be ok to eat? what if I remove the chicken? would hate to lose the money of all the veggies i put in there...thanks.
• I had an arguement at a family dinner in which I would not allow silverware to be left in a dish my fridge. I was told there is nothing wrong with that but I felt it was the same concept as leaving a metal can in the fridge. Is it harmful to eat food from the fridge after silverware was left in? If not harmful, I think its kind of disgusting anyway.
• Tonight when I came home and I saw that my room mate had made pasta. When I looked in the cupboard, I saw that she had put the opened, uncooked jar of tomato sauce back in it. I told her you have to refrigerate tomato sauce after opening it. She then informed me that she had already opened it two weeks ago, and it had been sitting in the cupboard (open, uncooked), this whole time. I told her that I think the sauce is definitely bad now, but she said she feels fine. Should I expect a very sick room mate all night?
• If I left hot sausage out for over 24 hours is it still good to eat
• I took chicken out on Saturday, thawed in fridge, can I use on Monday?
• I made homemade tomato sauce for spaghetti last night. Just cans of tomato sauce, onions and garlic, and dried herbs. Forgot to refrigerate it until this morning - 8 hours later. Is it still safe to eat? Thanks

 

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How long can the chicken sit inside the oven (at no temperature) before cooking begins, without spoiling?

Chicken like all perishable food is susceptible to contamination when not handled correctly. Raw chicken should not be left at room temperature for longer than 1 - 2 hours. At room temperature harmful microorganisms can multiply quickly which can lead to food spoilage and foodborne illness when eaten. The chicken can be safely cooked the night before and kept refrigerated until it is placed in the oven to heat and serve.

In the process of cooking chicken, the pilot on my stove went out. The chicken was partially cooked. It sat out for about an hour, then the piolt light was relit. Within such a short span of time is it safe to continue to cook the chicken?

That would depend on how much the chicken had been cooked. The more cooked it was, the lower the risk of harmful bacteria multiplying. If it was basically raw, the risk would be higher.

While broiling salmon I turned the broiler off after I turned the salmon over to the other side. Twelve minutes later, I realized the broiler was off. I then immediately turned the broiler back on and broiled the salmon. Is the salmon still good to eat?

The salmon is fine to eat. If the length of time was 1 to 2 hours then I would recommend discarding it.

I am planning to make garlic chicken stir fry and I need to cook it 6 hours before it will be served. What should I do with the garlic chicken after I've cooked it? Do I put it immediately in the fridge? Do I let it cool then put in the fridge. Do I leave it out until the party?

What I would recommend is to fully cook the chicken. Place in a shallow dish or plate and allow to cool; place in the refrigerator within 30 minutes. When you make the stir fry ensure that you re-heat the chicken quickly to an internal temperature of 74C (165F). Have a great party.

Our relatives are planning a pot-luck picnic on Sunday. There is a Baptism at 10:00 am and then the picnic. I am concerned because the temperature outside is going to be between 30-35ºC. Should we be concerned with consuming the food at the picnic? How can we be sure we won't get sick?

Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. All food being served either in a home or at a picnic needs to be handled correctly to ensure food safety. When packing food for a picnic, pack in coolers with ice or freezer packs to ensure a temperature of 4C (40F) or below is maintained. The food should be served immediately and not left in the hot sun or refrigeration temperature for more than 1 hour. Leftovers should be packed back into coolers or discarded. If hot food is being transported to the picnic it needs to maintain a temperature of 60C (140F) or above until serving. This can be difficult to do without proper equipment. Additional tips can be found under Mrs. C’s Fact Sheets – Party. Canadian Food Inspection Agency has an excellent brochure on picknicing, hiking and camping – food safety tips: 'Picknicing, Hiking, and Camping - Food Safety.

I made some delicious chicken soup in a pressure cooker, but then forgot to put the rest away. From the time I opened the lid to this morning, it was about 10hrs. Is this safe to reheat and eat, or possibly even re-pressurize to kill anything?

No, I'm afraid your soup should be discarded. During the 10 hours it stood cooling and at room temperature, bacteria, which cause spoilage as well as food borne illness, could have multiplied enough to cause illness.

I know that if you leave pizza out for more than 2 hours it can foster dangerous bacteria. But if you cook it at a high enough temperature after that, won’t that kill the bacteria and make it edible again?

No, the pizza cannot be made safe to eat again. If there are a high number of bacteria, the high temperature may not destroy them all. Some bacteria produce toxins which are heat resistant.

I cooked hamburgers one night and accidently left 2 burgers in the micowave. I gave them to my dog for dinner along with his usual food. Will my dog get sick?

The bacteria which makes you sick can also make your dog sick. Raw or cooked hamburger left at room temperature longer than one hour in the summer and two hours the rest of the year could develop enough bacteria to make you or your dog sick.

Can you partially cook chicken in the oven,refrigerate overnight and then barbecue the next day?

Do not partially cook the chicken and store to finish cooking later. This is not a safe way to handle chicken.

I placed some beef stir-fry strips and potatoes in boiling water (from kettle) in my slow-cooker. I forgot to plug the cooker in. I checked the temperature 2 hours later and it was 115 F. What is the minimum temperature at which the beef would still be safe after it was cooked?

Do not consume this food as it has been in the danger zone temperature for 2 hours. The beef should have been at a temperature of 160ºF ( 71ºC).

My daughter ate 1 frozen chicken finger that had been cooked only on one side, not realizing the batch still had to be turned over (cooked 10 min rather than 20). They were warm through, but not hot. Is she likely to be sick, and if so, when? (30 min, 4 hours, 24 hours?) Thank-you.

Because we cannot see or smell the presence of foodbourne pathogens, it is difficult to know if your daughter will become ill. Symptoms of foodbourne illness (nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps) usually appear 24 to 48 hours after consuming a food. However, the symptoms can appear as quickly as within 30 minutes or as long as a week later.

I made a marinade out of fresh squeezed orange, lime, and lemon juice with oil and fresh herbs. It ended up sitting on the counter though for approx. 6 hrs. before I used it. Is it still safe to use?

I recommend not to use the marinade. Have a look at the fact sheets on my web site which talk about the two hour rule!

I cooked veggies and a salmon filet and left it to cool, forgot to put it in the fridge and discovered it at about 6:00am. (cooked around 8:30pm). Is it all garbage or can the veggies at least be salvaged?(broccoli/carrots/baby potatoes)Thanks.

Unfortunately, you will have to garbage the whole dish.  It sat at room temperature for more than 2 hours and duing that time there still can be development of harmful bacteria.  It is not worth to take the risk and make  yourself or any members of your family sick.  Throw everything in the garbage.

How long can you leave leftover chicken in the refrigerator?

Once cooked, left over chicken can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days

I left 2 pkgs of paper wrapped hot dogs and 2 pounds of ground chuck from the meat market in the closed car after I got home for about 40 minutes (temp outside was low 70s) Total of one hour from store. Are they safe to consume?

Your ground beef and hot dogs are safe to consume as they were refrigerated within one hour. If left longer at room temperature, they would have to be discarded. Next time, take an iced cooler or ice pack to keep your perishables cold.

I left a carton of eggs in my truck all day. Are they still okay to eat?

Eggs should be left at room temperature no longer than one hour in the summer and two hours during the rest of the year. Discard your eggs. 

If a pot of sauce with meat was cooked thoroughly and left out to "cool off"...what is the acceptable amount of time it can be left out without getting ruined?

To prevent the possible development of harmful bacteria, the pot of sauce should be cooled as quickly as possible and refrigerated within one hour. To speed cooling, divide into shallow containers and, if necessary, cool them in a sink of cold water.

I cooked half of my chicken cutlets at 3:30p.m. My husband finished cooking one batch and left the rest unfried and raw. The cooked batch had sauce covering most of it, but it was left on the kitchen counter for one hour and 45 minutes. It is a humid summer day and I was wondering if either the uncooked was still ok to fry, and is the cooked that has been sitting out in room temp. okay to eat? Thank you for your response. Donna

Both the raw and cooked chicken cutlets are perishable. If they have been left at room temperature longer than one hour on a warm day, there is a risk they could contain enough harmful bacteria to make you sick.

Hello, normally I take out a package of 5-6 chicken drumsticks out of the deep freezer around 10:30 at night and place the package in the sink to defrost. I then put them in the fridge in the morning until I get home from work. This morning I forgot to put the chicken in the fridge, so it will be sitting in the sink at room temperature until I get home at 4:00pm. Will the chicken be safe to eat once it is cooked?

It may not be safe to eat once it is cooked. Chicken left at room temperature longer than one hour (two hours in the winter) should be discarded. Chicken should be thawed in the fridge unless your sink is full of cold water and the water is changed every 45 minutes. In both cases, there is a greater risk of harmful bacteria multiplying at room temperature.  If you put your chicken in the fridge to thaw the night before, you would not have to think or forget about it in the morning.  Once back home at night, it should be completely thawed.

I left ground beef and chicken in my car overnight.They were frozen. I forgot them. Can you still eat them? The next morning they were a little defrosted I put them in the freezer.

As long as there were ice crystals and the temperature of your car was not over 4C/40F for more than two hours, the beef and chicken should be safe to cook and eat.

I put some pieces of beef and ground meat in my freezer that was turned off as I just thawed it and cleaned it.  I left the meat in there and forgot to turn back on the freezer from 8pm until 9am the morning after.  Can I eat the ground meat as well as the other meat?  There is no odour, no change in colour. 

All of your meat should be discarded because it was left at room temperature longer than two hours. There would be a high risk that harmful bacteria, which cannot be seen or smelled, have developed

Is it possible to freeze ground meat?  What is the risk?  Thank you!

Yes, you can safely freeze ground meat whether it be beef, chicken, turkey or pork. Ensure that it is packaged in proper freezer wrap. Storage time for ground meat is up to 3 months in the freezer.

I thawed frozen Spaghetti meat sauce in the fridge. Is it edible after 5 days in the fridge?

I recommend storing cooked food such as spaghetti sauce for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. You may want to discard your sauce as it has been stored longer than that time.
I'm pleased to see that you thawed it in the fridge to begin with!

We barbequed chicken breasts and left it in the oven overnight. The oven was not on. Is it safe for my dog to eat?

If your dog is used to eating commercial dog food only, I would not feed the chicken meat to him/her.

I partially cooked pork chops and put in the crock pot. But I forgot to turn on the crock pot, and left for 6 hours. Can I still cook the pork chops at high temperature until very well done, and will they be safe to eat? In other words, can whatever might have grown on the pork chops be "killed or deactivated" with cooking or is it still there to make one sick?

Sorry but you should not finish cooking the pork chops. The food has been left in the danger zone temperature for more than two hours. No amount of cooking will undo the growth of bacteria or development of toxins that may now be present.

i cooked chicken in the oven and cooked it with bbq sauce and cheese on top and I left it in the oven for 6 hours. is it still ok?

No, the rule is to refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours or less. There are no exceptions to the rule. The chicken may not be safe to eat.

I made a pot of fresh chicken soup late last night, but I fell asleep before putting it the refrigerator. It was sitting on the stove for about 4 hours before I woke up and placed the pot in the frig. Could I eat the soup if I boiled it again before consuming it? I don't want to take a chance on getting sick, but hate to throw it away. What should I do?

Unfortunately, I suggest that you discard the soup. Remember the 2 hour rule - perishables, prepared foods and leftovers bust be in the refrigerator within two hours or less. Fours hours is too long. In the future, for a large pot of soup, once it is cooked, separate into small, shallow containers and refrigerate right away. In smaller containers it will cool right away.


Hi!  How long and at what temperature should I keep fish warm in the oven? because my fish has tendency to dry out.  Thanks!

The length of cooking time for fish, depends on the type of fish and how thick the piece of fish is. It is best to find a recipe for best results. Fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145ºF.  To avoid your fish fro drying, you should shorten the length of time it is in the warm oven or cover the dish with tin foil to keep moisture within the area.

what three things do bacteria need to grow?

The three main things that bacteria would need to grow is a substrate (food), humidity (water) and temperature (heat) (ideally above 10 degrees C and below 60 degrees C with a peak at around 35 degrees C).   Depending of the microorganisms, some do need oxygen (aerobic bacteria) some do not (anaerobic bacteria) but all of them would need the three things described above.

I put a frozen chicken in my crockpot about 2:00 in the afternoon, but at dinner time 6:30 it was not fully cooked in the middle. I took it out and put it in a ziploc freezer bag and froze it again. Is it safe to finish cooking it and eat it???

No, it is not safe to finish cooking the chicken. It is likely that parts of the chicken have been in the dangerzone temperature for more than 2 hours.
It is not recommended to put frozen meat in a slow cooker. In addition, it is also recommended not to cook large whole roasts or chickens in a slow cooker.

Is it safe to cook and eat chicken that was left in a microwave oven, but didn't use one piece of the chicken, and put that piece back in the fridge?

How long did you leave the piece of chicken in the microwave oven? If it was for more than 2 hours, the chicken may not be safe to consume.

I left my grounded beef on the counter for 3 hours after coming in from the butcher shop.  Temperature of the house was about 17 degrees C; so not too warm.  Can I consume the grounded beef?

Your ground beef has been left in the danger zone temperature 4ºC to 60ºC for more than two hours so I recommend that you discard the meat. Any ground meat have a shorter storage life and should be handled with care and cooked thoroughly because any harmful bacteria which may have been present on the surface of the meat are mixed throughout.

I made chicken soup last night, and at 11:00 pm separated the chicken and stock. I left the stock in the pot and put it into the fridge, when I woke up this morning, the outside of the pot was still a bit warm. Did the soup cool down safely?? Can I use the stock?? the chicken meat and veg was not very cold either--should I discard the meat?? Thank you

I would recommend not consuming the stock or meat. If the pot still felt warm, it would not have reached refrigeration temperatures soon enough. In the future, you do not need to cool hot food before you put it into the fridge. but very hot food can be left out for 30 minutes before refrigerating. Stirring the stock occasionally during this time speeds up cooling. Or, to cool more quickly, store the stock and meat in smaller shallow containers and refrigerate right away.


I left my ground beef in the car for 5 hours. It is 47 degrees outside. Is it safe to eat?

Your ground beef has been left in the danger zone temperature 40ºF (4ºC) to 140ºF (60ºC) for more than two hours so I recommend that you discard the meat. Any ground meat has a shorter storage life and should be handled with care and cooked thoroughly because any harmful bacteria which may have been present on the surface of the meat is mixed throughout.

Hello, I took frozen boneless breasts of chicken out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge on Tuesday morning, is it safe to now cook this chicken on friday night? it would have been thawed three days in the fridge after being froze? Thanks

Cook the thawed chicken as soon as possible. Use a food thermometer to ensure that you have cooked the chicken to an internal temperature of 170ºF (77ºC). Once thawed, raw chicken should be cooked within 2 to 3 days.

Chili was prepared on the stove last night for a party, then placed in a slow cooker to keep warm during the party - when it cooled down, we placed it in the fridge. Is it safe to pull out and put back in the slow cooker to keep hot and eat on today?

First, how long did you leave the chili to cool? Was it longer than 2 hours? The leftover chili should have been put in shallow, covered containers and refrigerated as soon as possible after cooking is finished and heat is turned off.
Reheating is not recommended in a slow cooker. Cooked food can be brought to steaming or boiling on the stove top or microwave oven and then put into a preheated slow cooker to keep hot for serving.

After I cook chicken breasts , how long after they are cooked do you put the leftovers in the fridge , do you put them in immediately or is there a certain time that you wait to put the leftovers in the fridge, what is the correct time and when is it too long for them to be safe and not have bacteria.

You do not need to cool hot food before you put it in the fridge, but very hot food (such as a big pot of hot chili) can be left out for 30 minutes before refrigerating. Your chicken breasts can go immediately into the fridge.
The key is to cool hot food quickly to prevent bacteria growth. Bacteria grow very well in the temperature range of 4ºC to 60ºC. Food should be cooled to 4ºC or lower as quickly as possible.

The temperature in my refrigerator is colder in the front than the back. Our eggs were accidently pushed to the back and froze. Are they still safe to consume if cooked?

Your eggs will be safe to consume. However, if the shell has cracked, I suggest using those eggs as soon as possible and cook thoroughly. It is best to cook as scrambled or use in baked items where the white and yoik are beaten together. Once frozen, the yolk becomes tough and rubbery.

It might be a weird question but, I left a frozen can of juice on the counter overnight and it of course thawed. Is it still good to use.

Not a weird question because I've heard many people do this! I would make the juice and get it into the fridge right away. Because of the acidic nature of the juice, it should be safe to consume.

I finished cooking a casserole at 7:30 pm and forgot to refrigerate until the next morning 6:30am. Is it still good?

No, discard the casserole. It has been left in the danger zone temperature for more than 2 hours.

I left my pot roast in the crock pot and after 3 hours, I realized that the crock pot was off. I then turned it to high and after 3 more hours put it in the oven. Is it safe to eat?

I recommend discarding the pot roast as it has been in the danger zone temperature for more than two hours.

I left frozen chicken on the counter overnight by mistake. In the morning it was still very cold,but no ice crystals. Can I still cook it throughly?

No, do not cook the chicken, discard it. The chicken has been left in the danger zone temperature for more than two hours. While it still felt cool, the surface of the meat would still not have been cold enough to prevent bacteria growth.

My husband cooked a pot of turkey meatballs last night, in a chili/grape jelly sauce. It was left in our crockpot overnight and was room temperature this morning. Can we reheat them and eat them?

You should not eat that dish even if you heat it again.  The turkey balls with the sauce were exposed to room temperature, the danger zone for more than two hours.  Any bacteria present will grow fast and may produce toxins and both can make you very sick.  I strongly recommen that you throw it away.

Hello, I have a crock pot with three settings warm, low and high. If I cook something overnight and it's done in the morning instead of unplugging the appliance and waiting for the contents to cool down before refrigerating i often put the pot on warm for the whole workday. It's still okay being on warm all day right?

As long as the food in the crock pot stays at a temperature above 60ºC (140ºF) it will be safe. However, the food may be overcooked. Crock pots are designed to cook food within 6 to 8 hours. The best practice is to remove the food from the crock pot as soon as it is done and put in smaller, shallow containers and put in the refrigerator right away.

Hi there I was just wondering I took a roast out of the freezer yesterday (Nov. 14th) and let it thaw in the fridge, how long can it sit in the fridge before I should cook it and it still be safe to eat? Could I cook on friday if I leave it in the fridge?

Once your roast is thawed, it should be cooked within two days.

Is fully cooked salmon that has been refrigerated harmful to a dog? mine ate perhaps two or three ounces by accident last night before i knew it.

Your dog must have quite a feast with the salmon.  The salmon should not be harmful to you dog unless your dog is allergic to fish or is not acquainted to that kind of food or the salmon had bones in it where they could get caught in its throat.  Sometimes, dogs might throw up food not because the food was bad because their sensitive stomach could not digest it.  If it happens, the dog should recuperate rapidly.

I cooked turkey chile with beans in the crock pot last night. Started cool down process 8:30 p.m. chile still warm at 11:30 p.m. Forget to put it in the fridge last night. I placed it in the fridge at 7:00 a.m. Still safe to eat?

It is not safe to eat, When cooked food such as chile are left at room temperature longer than two hours, there is a risk there could be contamination with harmful bacteria.

I cooked spaghetti bolognese on Friday and put the leftover sauce in the fridge straight away, Is it safe to eat if I reheat it on high for lunch today (tuesday)?

Your sauce could be safely stored in the fridge as long as four days. So use it up or freeze it Tuesday. It could be frozen for three months.

I had a bag of chicken that i forgot to put in the freezer, after shopping. It was off to the side. It sat at at room temp for two days. I threw it out immediatly after finding it from the smell. It had leaked throught the plastic bag onto the carpet. I cleaned the carpet but is it possible to get sick from any airborne bacteria?

The bacteria that cause foodborne illness are not airborne. They are transferred from one food or object to another by touch. If there were bacteria in the chicken juices, they would be transferred to the carpet and then your hands and cleaning tools. This is why it so important to wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and surfaces after handling raw meat, fish, poultry, eggs and produce.

Hi!  I would like to know if eating raw eggs (without cooking them) is dangerous or not?

There is always a great health hazard in the consumption of raw eggs and this practice is not recommended.  The egg shell is porous and could allow the entrance of pathogens bacteria such as Salmonella.  Eggs should be consumed cooked or like in the preparation of egg nog, the solution should be heated to 71 degres C / 160 degres F or use  commercially prepared liquid eggs already pasteurized.

My hotdogs were in the freezer set at medium thermostat for 10hrs. After that, it was turned off for 14 hrs. Are the hotdogs still safe to eat? For only how long can personal refs (2.4 cubic feet)be turned off so that it can still maintain the proper temperature for the food to be kept safe and still edible to eat? Thanks.

If the hot dogs still contained ice crystals and the temperature of your freezer was at or below 4 degrees C/40 degrees F they should be safe to eat. If a home refrigerator set at the above temperature should be turned off and the door remained closed, the temperature would be safe for food storage for 4 to 6 hours.  

My husband decided to marinade chicken breasts with vinegar (and other spices), in the marinade, he forgot it out all night and put it in the fridge in the morning... he says the vinegar should have kept the chicken "fine" to cook and eat today, is that true?

A vinegar marinade will not keep bacteria from developing. If the chicken was left at room temperature in the marinade for longer than two hours, it should be discarded.

One place says to cook all ground meats i.e. beef, chicken, BEFORE putting into crock pot; another site on internet says not necessary. which is correct for safe eating? thanks much!

Browning ground meat is not a necessary step to control harmful bacteria. But, it does enhance the flavour and colour.

Is it safe to use cream cheese dated 7 months ago, that has never been opened or taken out of the fridge, and then use it in a recipe where it is baked at 350 for 20 minutes?

After that Best Before Date 7 months ago, that cream cheese has gradually lost quality and by now there may be contamination with bacteria or mould which cannot be seen.lt may also have an offensive taste.

I accidentally left my stewed meat (still in the package) on the table overnight. Is it still ok to cook..?

The stew meat is not safe to cook if left on the table at room temperature longer than two hours. There is a risk it is contaminated with harmful bacteria.  It should be discarded.

I got a chicken caesar sandwich from a takeout place and left it in my car for about 3 hours. Outside the temperature was between 30-35 F. Is it still okay to eat?

If you are sure the temperature in your car was below 40 degrees F/4 degrees C, the sandwich would be safe to eat. But it's likely the temperature inside the car was warmer than outside. When in doubt, throw it out.

I know that hotdogs are always cooked, so I was wondering if I boiled my hotdogs 6 days ago and have had them refrigerated- can I eat them now after being in the fridge for a week?

Hot dogs may be cooked, but they are still at risk for harmful bacteria such as listeria. Once cooked, refrigerate them like other cooked meats for as long as four days.

My favourite crock pot recipe book suggests browning the meat and assembling stews, etc. the night before, refrigerating for no more than 12 hours, then popping the crock into the cooker in the morning. Recently I heard that this method may be unsafe. Say it ain't so!

Yes, this method may be unsafe. Once meat, poultry and seafood are partially cooked, the cooking should be finished immediately rather refrigerating for cooking the next day. Browning does add flavour, but it should be done just before the slow cooking begins.

How long can you keep spaghetti and meatsauce in the fridge once its cooked??

Once cooked, spaghetti sauce made with meat can be safely refrigerated for three days.

It is 2:30 pm.  We will eat at 5:00 pm.  I have a chicken well done in the oven.  Can I hold it there between 150 degrees F and 200 degrees F?  It is not covered, should I cover it?

If cooked chicken is to be served within two hours of the time it is cooked, it can be kept really hot at or above 74 degrees C/165 degrees F. It is not a good idea to try to keep food hot longer than two hours. Covering will keep it more moist.

I brought a whole chicken from the supermarket and I forgot it on the front patio (which is shaded)and my wife who saw it 5 hours later brought it inside the house. She said that the chicken was at room temperature and she put it in the freezer. Is it okay to consume it?

If raw chicken is left at room temperature longer than 2 hours (1 hour in summer) there is a risk that it could be contaminated with harmful bacteria that multiply and it should be discarded. Freezing does not destroy bacteria. It just inactivates them.

I was making skillet stew. The meat was braised and simmered with seasoning. I added the veggies and put it on low for 3 hours. When I came back, the burner was not working and the gravy was luke warm. I cooked it again for 1 hour on high. Is it still OK to eat??

This question is hard to answer. If the stew was left at room temperature (without heat from the burner) for longer than one hour, it should be discarded. We don't know when the burner stopped working. So when in doubt throw it out rather than risk food borne illness.

I have two questions: 1. I cook off five chicken breasts and a pot of rice every Sunday night to take as lunches for the upcoming work week. I place them in individual serving containers and refrigerate them all immediately. By Friday is it still safe to eat the leftovers? 2. After cooking the chicken, I place it in the fridge when it is still hot. This produces a large build up of moisture in the container. Is this a problem; if so how can I stop it?

Cooked chicken should be used or frozen within four days. Cooked rice should be used within three days. So for food safety, consider freezing some of your serving containers. After cooking the chicken, it should be chilled as soon as possible. Try spreading them on a shallow tray. Once in the containers, leave the food uncovered, for a maximum of 2 hours (1 hour in the summertime) to allow the heat to escape prior to covering and refrigeration.  

I started to defrost ground beef on the counter and about 3 hours later we changed our mind as to what we were eating. I put it in the fridge 2 days ago. Is it still good? (Now I know to not defrost on the counter at all.)

You are correct about not defrosting on the counter. If left on the counter longer than one hour in warmer wether, two hours in the winter,
 ground beef  should be discarded. And when defrosted in the fridge, ground beef should be cooked within two days.

I left tuna casserole out on the counter after removing from the oven @11pm till 7am is it still good if I put it in the refridgerator

Cooked casseroles can be an ideal environent for harmful bacteria and should be discarded if left on the counter longer than two hours.

Can I cook a whole chicken from the frozen state.  I know people that do this and they tell me that the chicken tastes very good.  I have the impression that it is best not to do this.  I am awaiting for your opinion. Thank you

The giblets and neck should be removed from a chicken before cooking and this is difficult to do with a frozen chicken. Then, when a chicken is cooked from the frozen state, there is a risk the outside will be overcooked and dry before the meat near the carcass has reached a safe temperature of 85C/ 185F. For best results, thaw the chicken before cooking.  

I had cooked chicken, and forgot to put it in the fridge. My husband put it in the fridge four hours later, and meant to ask me if I needed to throw it out or not. The next night my daughter and I snacked on it, not realizing that I had left it out the night before!!! What can we expect for an illness????

The chicken should have been refrigerated within two hours (one hour in the summer). After that, there is an increasing risk that it may be contaminated with bacteria which can cause illness. Food borne illness can develop from three to 72 hours after the bacteria are ingested. Symptoms can be mistaken as a viral illness, like the 24 hour flu.  

I took a frozen whole chicken out early afternoon and forgot it until 9am next day. Is it safe to eat if I cook it 3 hours?

If your chicken was defrosted at room temperature it would not be safe to eat and should be discarded. Cooking may not destroy all of the bacteria or the toxins they may have produced. 

How long can frozen salmon filet 3/4 inch thick, thawed in the refrigerator, be good to cook and eat?

When frozen salmon is thawed in the refrigerator, it should be cooked within two days.

It's stated regularly by you and many others that cooked food should not be left on the counter for more than 2 hours. What if it hasn't cooled sufficiently in 2 hours? Should you leave it out until it is cold, or refrigerate whilst still slightly warm?

Food should be cooled as quickly as possible after cooking to keep harmful bacteria from growing and then refrigerated. To speed cooling, separate large quantities of food in many shallow containers and stir as it cools. In addition, you can also place the dish in cold water.  If the food is still not cool within two hours it could be placed in the refrigerator.  Today's refrigerator are designed to chill warm food items without causing damage to the appliance.  

How long is it to keep fresh eggs safe after the past due date on the carton ?

According to the Canadian Egg Marketing Association, uncracked Canada Grade A eggs that have been kept refrigerated can be used two weeks past their Best Before Date as long as they are used in ways in which they are thoroughly cooked as in baking.

I placed a frozen roast in my luggage at 7:00 pm. my luggage was lost and then i retrieved it at 4:00 pm. the next day, it was still very cold to the touch and partially frozen, especially the center. Can I still cook it and eat it?

The safe way to defrost a roast is in the refrigerator.  At higher temperatures there is a risk that harmful bacteria may grow. Even though your roast was insulated by the contents of your suitcase, you don't know what temperatures it was subjected to.  The fact that the exterior was exposed to temperature above the refrigeration temperature of 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) or less for over two hours makes the meat unsafe to cook and consume.

I partially cooked ribs last night and put them in the fridge, is it ok to finish cooking today?

It is not safe to partially cook meat and finish cooking it later. However, if your ribs are cooked and you plan to reheat and glaze them later, that would be safe.

I left baked ziti in my car overnight for about 8 hours is it save to eat?

Your ziti may not be safe to eat if left unrefrigerated longer than two hours (one hour in the summer). After that there is a risk the ziti may be contaminated with an undesirable level of harmful bacteria  

Can you eat cold chicken the next day after being cooked and left in the oven.

Leftover cooked chicken should be cooled and refrigerated within one hour (two hours in the winter). After that, likeit is in your case here,  there is a risk that if the chicken was contaminated with harmful bacteria they could grow to an undesirable level.  

I made a spaghetti bolognese last night, let it on the side overnight, and have now recooked it for two and a half hours on a high heat. Is it ok to eat?

If left at room temperature overnight, your spaghetti bolognese may not be safe to eat even though you've recooked it for 21/2 hours on high heat. Some bacteria produce heat resistant toxins that could cause food poisoning.

i put lamb in freezer at night 9pm and in the morning i put it in fridge the whole day and i put it outside the fridge for four hour and put back in freezer is the lamb is safe?

The lamb has been what food safety experts call temperature abused and the risk of harmful bacteria multiplying has increased. It should not be left outside the fridge for longer than one hour in the summer (two hours in the winter). Repeated defrosting and refreezing of raw meat also increases the risk that harmful bacteria may multiply to numbers causing food poisoning.

We did a rotisserie chicken on Sunday and ate some of the leftovers Monday. It's Wednesday and I've heated the chicken through again, hoping to extend it for sandwiches on Thursday. Thursday is the fourth day out. Well, not quite four since my inquiry concerns having it for lunch tomorrow. Will Sunday dinner chicken, re-cooked Wednesday and cooled again, be good for Thursday lunch.

Leftover cooked chicken can be refrigerated for four days. So chicken cooked on Sunday may be eaten on Thursday. Reheating the chicken does not extend the length of time leftovers can be refrigerated.

When a hot chicken is bought from the Supermarket, is it best to let it cool down (within the 2 hours)and then put it in the fridge or should it be put in the fridge straight away?

Today's refrigerators are designed to chill warm food items without causing damage to the appliance. So refrigerate the chicken as soon as you get home from the supermarket. Leave it uncovered to allow the heat to escape more quickly and cover once cooled. Cutting the chicken in half will also speed up the cooling process.   

After cooking a chicken,is it ok to put directly in the fridge(while still hot and just out of the oven), to have cold chicken later?

Today's refrigerators are designed to chill warm food items without causing damage to the appliance. So promptly refrigerate the cooked chicken, uncovered to let the heat escape. Cover it when cold. Cutting the chicken in half will also speed up the cooling.

Hello, I cooked tomato sauce and sausage in the crock pot. It was fully cooked, so I transferred it to a bowl to cool. I left it out overnight and then the whole day I was at work, should I throw it away?

Definitely throw it out! Bacteria thrive at room temperature. So once the cooked sausage and sauce were left at room temperature longer than one hour, there is a risk that sporeformers resistant to heat would multiply in numbers that could cause food poisoning.

How long can you keep salmon in the freezer?

Salmon can be frozen for as long as two months.

I have a cooked pot roast that has been in the refrig for one week. Is it still safe to eat?

Refrigerated leftover meats should be eaten within 3 - 4 days.

I bought two packages of hot dogs and forgot to put them in the refrigerator. I left them on the counter for about two and a half hours when I realized it they weren't very cold, can they still be eaten?

When hot dogs are left at room temperature for longer than one hour in the summer (two hours in the winter) there is a risk that if they they are contaminated with harmful bacteria, they will multiply to levels that cause illness.  They should be discarded.

We left the chicken legs in a warm oven for three hours. we had shut the oven off at 7 and came back at 10 and found out that we left them in the oven is the chicken still good the temperature was 100 in the core of the chicken legs are they still good.

Your chicken legs have been stored in what's called The Danger Zone between 4C/40F and 60C/140F where harmful bacteria can multiply fastest. Once cooked the chicken should have been refrigerated as quickly as possible within two hours.

I put a frozen box of 50 hot dogs in the fridge on Sunday and I want to cook them Friday. I'm thinking they are fine, even though they probably have defrosted by Tues. They have never left the fridge. Am I safe?

An unopened box of hot dogs can be refrigerated two weeks. Once opened, the hot dogs can be refrigerated one week. So how long they can be stored after defrosting depends on how long they were stored before freezing and whether or not the box was opened. 

I cooked boneless ribs in a pressure cooker and forgot to put them in the refrigerator until five hours later. Are they still alright to eat?

Your cooked ribs may not be safe to eat. When they have been left at room temperature longer than two hours there is a risk they may be contaminated with harmful bacteria. They should be refrigerated as soon as possible after cooking but within two hours.

I am an American living in Germany. In the stores here, they do not refrigerate eggs but leave them on the shelf. I think it is not safe, but they say it's unsafe to put them in the fridge because at some point during delivery and sales they may be taken out of refrigeration and that is much more unsafe (getting hot and cold). What is true?

In Canada eggs are refrigerated promptly after being produced and are kept refrigerated from the producer to your table to retain their freshness and quality. If the temperature gets too warm, there is a possibility of harmful bacteria growth and deterioration of the egg's quality.   In a matter of fact, egg quality declines more rapidly at room temperature for one day than under refrigeration for a week.

I made baked ziti and put it in the fridge right away. How many days is it good for?

Use your baked ziti or freeze within three days.

What is the temp to be in the refrigerator to keep food safe?

To keep food safe, the temperature of your refrigerator should be 4 degrees C/40 degrees F or below.

I bought cream cheese and forgot to put it in the fridge. It was left out all night. Is it safe to use?

Cream cheese left at room temperature longer than one hour (two hours in the winter) should be discarded.

I made a big dutch oven full of baked beans with cooked hamburger and bacon. After baking it in the oven for 1 hr., I had to leave, so, I took the dutch oven and directly put it in the fridge. When I got home several hours later, the beans were still warm. Is it safe to eat?

The bean casserole may not be safe to eat. Cooked beans are very dense and as you have discovered, it can take several hours for them to cool to a safe temperature. During that time dangerous bacteria could reach a high enough level to make you sick. Next time you cook this casserole, immediately after cooking divide into smaller batches in shallow pans to speed the cooling. The pans can even be set in a sink of cold water. Stir frequently to remove the heat and cover only when cold.  

I ate leftovers, including meat, seafood and rice that apparently had been sitting out overnight. What action should I take now?

There is no action you can take once you have eaten food that has possibly been contaminated with harmful bacteria. If symptoms do appear, contact your doctor.

I didn't know that the refrigerater wasn't working properly. I put cream cheese, cheddar cheese and pepperoni in the refrigerator.The temperature in the refrigerator was 60 degrees F (15 degrees C) for 24 hours. Should I discard all the food?

Yes, all of the food should be discarded because it has been stored for longer than one hour at a temperature where harmful bacteria, if present, can thrive.

I bought some summer sausage at a market around 10 in the morning and it was sitting in the trunk of my car until 4:00 when I got home. It does say to keep it refrigerated, but will it still be good? It was about 30 degrees out today.

On hot days, meats including  cooked sausage should be refrigerated within one hour of purchase. 

I took (smoked) cook chicken home from a restaurant. It was left in the car approximately 3 hrs. Is it still safe to eat? And if I heat it up in microwave will that help conditions. 

Leftover restaurant food should be refrigerated within one hour (two hours in the winter) of leaving the restaurant kitchen or there is a risk that harmful bacteria, if present, could make you sick. Heating in the microwave may not help because some bacteria produce heat resistant toxins.  

My husband & I are having a disagreement about hotdogs. He was given 20# of beef franks about a month ago. I gave a 10# box away & I fixed several for dinner & put the rest in the fridge for a few days & then stuck them in the freezer. My husband says that hotdogs can stay for a couple months in the fridge. Please tell me who's right. 

Once a package of hot dogs is opened, they can be refrigerated for one week or frozen for two to three months.

I left my eggs out all day,can I still use them in baking?

Eggs lose quality rapidly when left at room temperature. After being left out all day, they should be discarded.

I bought some refrigerated raw chicken pieces (legs and breasts) at the grocery store and put it into the freezer right away. Then I left it to thaw in my fridge. How soon after I put it into my fridge do I need to cook it? I saw a similar question but I think the person had bought the chicken frozen (unlike me) so I wasn't sure if the answer applied. Thanks!!  Also, I've heard that you must freeze raw refrigerated chicken/chicken pieces within 1-2 days of buying it. However, is it allright to wait 1-2 days after the "sell by" date since technically one could have bought it on that day. Thanks!

Poultry should be cooked within 48 hours of being thawed in the refrigerator. The Canadian food industry standard is that chicken pieces be refrigerated and frozen or cooked within 2 to 3 days of the Best Before Date or date of purchase.

My daughter and I ate out for lunch. At 12:30, I had her put the leftovers in the fridge (chicken fettucini alfredo), and we went shopping. When we returned at 5:00, I was starving and ate some of the leftovers, which still tasted warm (it turns out she did not close the refrigerator door tightly). I ate quite a bit before realizing why the food was still warm. What are the chances of getting sick from that?

If leftover restaurant food is not promptly chilled, there is a risk that bacteria which can cause food borne illness can develop. To speed the chilling of leftover restaurant food, remove it from the take-out container and refrigerate it, uncovered, in a shallow container.  At the time that you will read this, if you did not have any food poisoning symptoms, your chances of getting sick will diminish with time.

If a fresh hog was cooked on a smoker and left out at room temperature for 4 hours is this safe to eat

Cooked smoked pork should not be left at room temperature longer than one hour (two hours in the winter) or there is a risk that harmful bacteria may develop.  

Hi! I took out some frozen chicken legs and let them thaw in the sink. I forgot them overnight and I was wondering if they would be safe to cook for my dog?

The bacteria which causes food borne illness in people can also make dogs sick. So if food is not safe for you to eat, which is the case here, do not feed it to your dog.  Trhrow it out.  It just reminded us of the importance to thaw food in the refrigerator.

My male friend routinely cooks up a big pot of vegetarian bean soup or tomato sauce, then leaves it out at room temperature all day, saying it's fine to eat since the pot lid was on tight. Once it's refrigerated he keeps eating from it for up to a week. I won't eat at his house, since I don't think it's safe to eat, but he seldom (if ever)gets sick from his own cooking. What's your advice regarding how he keeps the food?

Once soup or tomato sauce are cooked, they should be refrigerated in a shallow container as quickly as possible. If left covered at room temperature, harmful bacteria that may have been introduced since the cooking stage or already been present on their spore form could  develop.  Cooked soup can be refrigerated for two to three days.

I have friends who leave their butter out in room temperature, even on hot sunny days, and never refrigerate it, because they like keeping it soft. I won't eat butter kept unrefrigerated, but often wonder if their's gets contaminated.

The Canadian dairy industry recommends that butter be kept refrigerated because butter left for too long a period at room temperature will develop a rancid taste. Take only as much as you will be serving out of the refrigerator. Contamination with bacteria is not an issue on short terms because butter does not contain enough water to support their growth.

I always prepare too much marinade for my meat that I cook on the barbecue.  Can I freeze the extra marinade that has not touch the meat?

Yes, it is safe to freeze leftover marinade if it has not touched the raw meat or any utensils such as a spoon or brush which have touched the raw meat.

There were some frozen chicken fingers that I thought were cooked, so I just heated them up. I ate one, then discovered that it wasn't fully cooked. Am I going to get sick? Thanks.

There is a risk that you could get sick after eating a chicken finger that was not cooked to a safe temperature. Be sure to check the label to see what cooking is required before eating. Prepare food and follow the instructions exactly.

I put a raw chicken in the freezer six month ago.  Is it still good to eat?

Yes!  A whole raw chicken can be stored in the freezer as long as one year, raw chicken parts for six months.

I brought chicken drumsticks 4 days ago and promptly refrigerated them. The sell date was one day ago. Is it safe to cook them?

It is not recommended to cook or eat any foods that have passed their "Best before" date, their "sale date" or their expiry date.  Once purchased, they should have been consumed or frozen in the next two to three days.

Forgot to put milk away after I brought it home. It was out about 12 hrs. Is it drinkable?

If milk has been left at room temperature for a long period of time, beyong two hours (maybe as short as one hour in the summer months), it will spoil rapidly.  As a pasteurized product, it might still be drinkable put once opened, it might not keep long. Taste might be different too.    

I left two whole chickens on my basement counter to finish thawing last night & didn't realize it till this morning. Can I still boil them & chop up the meat for my dog?

Bacteria which make people sick can also affect dogs. After thawing at room temperature, your chicken may be contaminated with harmful bacteria and should not be consumed by either people or pets.

When we prepare a chicken broth by boiling for example, some chicken breasts and we add carrots, celery and oinons;  a lot of people eat the chicken, keep the broth and throw away the carrots, oinons, etc. Are those vegetables unsafe to eat?

Vegetables which have been simmered for a long time in broth are not unsafe to eat if they are refrigerated promptly after cooking. But their texture would be very soft and most of their flavour and nutritional value would have gone into the broth.

If soup has been left out overnight, why does reboiling it not kill any harmful bacteria that may have grown? Thanks.

If soup has been left at room temperature overnight, it may not be safe after reboiling Because there may be a large number of bacteria and because some bacteria produce heat resistant toxins that still can make you sick. 

I prepared a roast with potatoes, carrots, beef broth and onions in the crock pot and put the lid on this morning at 10:00. I realized at 2pm that I forgot to plug in the pot..Is the roast still good since it's submerged in broth or should I throw it out?

The roast should be discarded if it was left unheated in the crock pot longer than one hour in the summer. There is a risk the meat and vegetables may be contaminated now with harmful bacteria.

I seen quite often some restaurants leaving their chicken or fish breaded mix at room temperature even when it has been in contact with raw meat or fish.  I think that once the mixture has been in contact with raw meat or fish, it should be refrigerated or changed often (every two hours).  Am I right?

How a restaurant handles breading mix is a public health issue so I can't answer that question. But I can say that once breading mix has been used at home, the leftover should be discarded because it would have been contaminated with juices from the raw food.  

Hi!  I forgot in the trunk of my car for 4 hours some ground meat, some vacuum packed steaks and ready-to-use pizza crusts.  Would those products be dangerous if consumed?  Thanks!

Yes, those food would be dangerous to consume.  Perishable foods should be refrigerated as soon a possible which means within one hour of purchase during summer time (two hours in the winter).  Four hours in the trunk of your car is way to long to secure the meats and the pizza crust.  Throw them out.

I made a noodle pudding with butter, sugar and eggs but it was left out all night. the pudding was throughly cooked. can I refrigerate and eat it?

As your noodle pudding contains cooked eggs, it is a highly perishable food item and must be stored refrigerated.  Because bacteria grow very well in the temperature range of 4ºC - 60ºC, the noodle pudding may contain enough harmful bacteria to cause illness.

I bought a frozen turkey joint, took it home but realised my freezer had defrosted, i cleaned it out and out it on deep freeze and put the new food in the freezer. the food would have been out of the freezer for about an hour, would the turkey and other food be ok to eat?

If the food is partially frozen (i.e. ice crystals are still present in the food item), it would be fine to put it back into the deep freeze.  However, if the food has fully thawed yet still feels very cold to the touch, keep it in the refrigerator and do not refreeze.

My sis-in-law partially cooks chicken in the oven then lets it sit for several hours with the oven off then has my brother put it on the BBQ for 15 minutes, is it safe to eat?

Partially cooking meat and poultry is not recommended.  In order to fully destroy harmful bacteria that can cause illness, meat and poultry must be cooked completely from start to finish.  This risky technique of partially cooking merely heats the food to an ideal temperature that allows bacteria to multiply when.

I bought a small frozen turkey last night and put it in cold water in the laundry sink. I forgot it overnight. It was totally frozen 9 hours ago. Is it safe to cook?

When food is thawed outside of the fridge, parts of the surface or interior of the food may be exposed to temperatures above 4ºC (40ºF), ideal for the growth of harmful bacteria.  If your turkey felt very cold to the touch (as if it had come out of the refrigerator) and the water was still cold, it would be safe to use. 

I browned and then baked some beef ribs smothered in BBQ sauce last night. I realized in the afternoon that I had left them on the counter to cool and didn't get them in the refrigerator until right before I got home from work today. They were fully cooked. Doesn't the acid in the sauce keep bacteria from forming? If I reheat them to a high enough temperature, will they be okay to eat?

Perishable foods should be refrigerated within 2 hours (or 1 hour during the summer).  Although BBQ sauce is slightly acidic, it would not provide an acidic enough environment to prevent bacterial growth.  Meats in particular provide an excellent medium for the growth of illness causing bacteria.  When coupled with a moist, warm environment, harmful bacteria thrive.  Because you don't know exactly which bacteria, and spores may be present in the ribs, you would not know how long and what temperature would be required to destroy these microorganisms. Furthermore, toxins produced during their growth are not destroyed by heat and can make you sick.  Do not eat the ribs. 

I purchased 1kg of ground beef 8 days ago and placed it in the "cool box" of my refridgerator. I cannot say just how cool this "cool box" is, but when I removed the beef today it was partially frozen. I know now I should have just tossed it in the freezer to begin with, but is this now a total loss? Can I cook it or should I toss it?

Ground beef that has been stored in the refrigerator should be used within 1 - 2 days of packaging.  Although the meat is partially frozen, it would still contain enough harmful bacteria to cause illness.  Do not use the ground beef!

I hear you say all the time not to leave food in the danger zone for more than 2 hours and I use a crock pot all the time. My question is since the crock pots are supposed to cook slowly are they safe to use on low setting even if you follow the directions and never use frozen meat?

When used correctly, as directed by the manufacturer, crockpots are a safe and convenient method of cooking.  Although food is cooked at a lower temperature, the direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking time and steam created within the tightly covered container combine to destroy bacteria.  fill crockpot no more than two-thirds full. 

Hi!  Since Friday night I am marinating chicken in yogurt and spices.  I cooked it this morning (Sunday) in its marinade.  Is this food safe to consume?  Thanks!

If the marinated chicken was refrigerated all the time and cooked at a proper, safe temperature, it would be safe to consume.

I have a large container of homemade chicken soup in my freezer. Can I defrost it, perhaps use a bit of it, put the remainder in smaller containers and refreeze. Can chicken soup be refrozen?

Frozen soups are difficult to separate into smaller containers as they require complete thawing to do so.  When perishable foods, such as your chicken soup, undergo a variety of temperature changes, your risk of bacterial contamination increases.

I cooked cakes containing eggs and egg whites, are they okay to leave out and not refrigerate them? Also, is cream cheese icing okay to leave out and not refrigerate?

If the cakes do not contain any fillings or frostings, they may be kept unrefrigerated for 1 - 2 days.  Cream cheese icings should always be refrigerated.

HOW LONG IS COOKED SALMON SAFE TO EAT IF KEPT REFRIGERATED

Cooked salmon may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and still be safe to eat.

Cooked chicken was left in the microwave for 2 and half days and was eaten by mistake is there anything you can do before you start to feel ill.

Foods left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours may be at risk for bacterial contamination.  Should you experience flu-like symptoms or a change in your bowel movements, contact your family doctor immediately.  In the meantime, eat well, drink 8 glasses of water a day and get plenty of rest so you are as healthy as possible. 

I have prepared pickled beets.  Can I freeze them instead of sealing them in jars and sterilized them?

The pickled beets may be frozen instead of processed in a boiling water bath.  Use clean containers suitable for freezing to maintain quality and be sure to leave enough airspace to allow for expansion of the brine during the freezing process.  Because the pickled beets will not go through a sterilizing procedure when frozen instead of canned, the beets may have a shortened refrigerated shelf life when opened.

Is it safe to make pizza crusts on the pan and let them rise covered with a plastic food bag without refrigeration for longer than 2 hours?

You want the dough to double in size, this should occur within 1 - 2 hours if the kitchen is fairly warm.  If you allow the dough to rise for too long, the dough can become a sticky mass that you won't be able to use.  Do not exceed 2 hours if there are perishable ingredients such as egg in the mix.  

I accidently left an unopened package of bacon out on the counter all night and was wondering if it was still safe to eat due to all of the preservatives in it ?

No.  Uncooked bacon is considered a perishable food product that requires refrigeration, and will spoil if left unrefrigerated longer than 2 hours.  Discard the bacon.

Hi!  I purchased some roasted quails Saturday night.  They were probably pulled out of the oven few hours before.  I wrapped them in aluminium foil then in a Saran Wrap and put them in the refrigerator.  Would they still be good for Wednesday night (that will be 4 days after purchase) if I cook them on the stove at high temperature?  Thank you!

Your roasted quails should keep in the refrigerator for three to four days.  In your case, using them on Wednesday night would still be fine.  Just make sure that your warm them up well.  Enjoy!

How long can a fresh turkey remain in fridge before cooking?

Once refrigerated, a fresh turkey should be cooked in the next two to three days.

I left a baked ziti out all night and put it in the fridge in the morning. It has cheese,pasta and ground beef. Is it still good?

Baked ziti is a perishable food product that should not be left in the Danger Zone of 4ºC (40ºF) -  60ºC (140ºF) any longer than 2 hours.  Do not eat the pasta.

I buy raw mussels.  On the batch that I have purchased, some are opened and do not close themselves during cleaning.  Are they risky to consume? Should I throw them away?

To be sure that mussels are alive and fresh, the shells should be tightly closed or they should snap shut when the shell is tapped. Otherwise they would be risky to consume and should be discarded.

this morning, I realized my fridge door had been cracked all night long. I don't know what the temp in the fridge was but the drinks had "sweat" on them and I noticed water running down the walls of the fridge. Should I discard the food in there?

If the temperature of your fridge was above 4 degrees C/40 degrees F for longer than two hours, many foods will have to be discarded. Foods that could be saved are hard cheese, butter or margarine, opened fruit juice and canned fruit, fresh fruit, peanut butter. condiments including jelly, relish ketchup,and vinegar based salad dressings, bread and rolls, fresh vegetables.

Left frozen dinners and entres in car while visiting sick daughter for 3-4 hours ...they still seemed to be frozen as I opened one of them...are they still safe to eat...yikes...did this two times in two weeks...like Banquet and Mechilina mac & cheese and chili beef...and beef with gravy...Everyone tells me I am too paranoid about foods...also there were chicken breasts and smoked fully cooked ham steaks...thanks

If the food still has ice crystals on it, it can be returned to the freezer.  I do not recommend keeping perishable foods at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.  You did not state what the temperature was outside or inside your vehicle, but if temperatures exceeded 21 ºC (70 F), the food may not be safe. 

How long can I keep homemade baked beans in the fridg after they are cooked.

Homemade baked beans may be stored in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

If it is 35 degrees outside and I left a turkey, butter, cottage cheese and eggs in the trunk for five and 1/2 hours is it like being refrigerated? Nothing was soft and it was still cold to the touch.

The trunk of your car is likely warmer than the temperature outside.  I do not recommend storing perishables at more 40º F (4º C) for longer than 2 hours.

I accidentally left my freshly made cherry tomatoes stuffed with ricotta cheese palter out overnight (8 hours). Are they still ok to eat? I normally don't refrigerate tomatoes, but these had been hollowed out and stuffed.

The cherry tomatoes should be discarded because after being left at room temperature longer than two hours there is a risk they could be contaminated with harmful bacteria.

When my father-in-law cooks his Christmas turkey he stores the leftovers in the oven overnight, then expects us to eat it for dinner the next day. This is not safe, correct? I am the only one who thinks so. Of course I don't eat any.

You are absolutely right to think that way and to not eating any.  This practice is unsafe and could cause food poisoning.  Any perishable food left at room temperature for more than two hours is dangerous and should be thrown out.  So turkey left in the oven overnight is unsanitary, dangerous and could cause food poisoning. 

I half defrosted some ground beef in the microwave but forgot about it over night...this morning I put it back in the fridge as it was fully defrosted. My husband fried up the meat and added it to some kraft dinner for lunch. Was it dangerous for us to eat it?

Unsafe food handling practices can increase the risk that food can become contaminated with enough harmful bacteria to make you sick. When ground beef is defrosted in the microwave it should be immediately cooked thoroughly. And it should never be left at room temperature longer than two hours. So there is a high risk the macaroni beef dish you ate for lunch could make you sick. 

My refrigerator was turned off for 24 hrs. The food in the freezer was still frozen...of the ice cream was very soft. How about the milk, eggs, cheese in the frig? Should I not question and just throw them away? I drank some egg nog and it seems fine. Thanks.

Hard cheese such as cheddar, Swiss and parmesan can be kept unrefrigerated for a few days.  You should throw out the milk and eggs.  You should also throw away the egg nog and ice cream.  Food may taste fine but the bacteria that cause food illnesses do not usually make the food taste or smell off. 

i made a pea soup in the crockpot overnight and then my husband didn't put it in the fridge (as i had asked) but put it on "warm" for the whole day. If it stayed on warm for all but two hours at the end of the day, is it safe to eat?

The safety of the soup depends on how hot the "warm" setting keeps food.  If the temperature of the soup was held within the temperature Danger Zone of 4ºC (40ºF) and 60ºC (140ºF), then the soup would not be safe to eat and should be discarded.  When food is left longer than 2 hours in this temperature Danger Zone, bacteria thrive and multiply. 

What happens if you eat a contaminated egg?

I assume you mean contaminated with salmonella?  You MAY become ill, depending on your health and how contaminated the egg was. Severe symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever and possibly blood in the faeces.  Onset time for these symptoms is usually 6 - 48 hours after ingesting the bacteria,the average being about 24 hours. 

I bought Chicken from the store on Saturday night, brought home, into the fridge. Plans changed and I forgot to put in freezer. By Tuesday, I wanted to cook it,but again, couldn't get to it. Wednesday morning there was a foul odor from the package itself, but once the chicken had been washed -- was ok. Is it too late to cook it? I hate to waste all that good meat -- 6 pieces!

I recommend cooking chicken within 2 days of purchasing or the packaged on date.  If spoilage bacteria were growing, there may be other bacteria growing as well.  Unfortunately, you should throw the chicken out. 

I have precooked Spinach Lasagna. As I put the lasagna together meat sauce cooled during preparation time. I then froze my lasagna. Ingredients whole wheat noodles, spaghtti sauce, ground beef, spinach, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese. I have premade my lasagna to save time. I want to serve my tasty dish in a few days. I plan to take frozen lasagna out of freezer and partially thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours. I will then bake the lasagna at 350 degrees F for one hour. My question is this, have I followed the food safety code? Is there anything that you would suggest in making this meal as safe as it can be to serve? Thank you for your response.

There are several tips you can follow to ensure food safety.

Wash your hands well before cooking.
Use fresh ingredients whenever possible (unbruised tomatoes, fresh or frozen spinach, fresh or properly frozen/thawed ground beef, cottage cheese and mozzarella are within their best before dates, etc).
Ensure you wash fresh produce
thoroughly.
Do not let the meat sauce sit unrefrigerated for longer than 2 hours, keep covered until ready to use. 
Use a meat thermometer to ensure the ground beef has been fully cooked (71º C)
The safest way to thaw is in your refrigerator.  If you must use a quicker method, use the microwave and cook immediately. 
Ensure the lasagna reaches an internal temperature of 74º C before removing from oven.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving.
Leftovers may be kept in the fridge for 3 - 4 days (heat to 74º C) or frozen for up to 2 -3 months.

Hi. About 2 hours ago; i ate a few bites of mashed potatoes which were in a pan and covered from last night's dinner. Was that safe to eat? And will I get sick?

Perishable foods should be stored in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking.  Do not eat foods left on the stove or counter overnight. 

I left chicken to thaw out in cold water in the kitchen sink last night, I woke up at 7:00am the water was still very cold is the chicken still good to cook today?

When thawing chicken in a sink of cold water, the water should be replaced with more cold water every 45 minutes so that the temperature of any part of the chicken does not rise above 4 degrees C/40 degrees F. 

I cooked spaghetti in a crock pot last night. Started cooling at about 9pm and forgot to put in fridge until about 7am. Is it safe to eat?

You should not eat the food.  It has remained at a temperature that is perfect for illness causing bacteria to survive.  Throw it out!

I left baked beans with cooked bacon in them on the counter overnight. Are they still good to eat?

Once beans are baked, they are soft and moist and an ideal environment for the development of harmful bacteria. If they are left at room temperature longer than two hours, they should be discarded.

Hi, I cooked barbecue ribs and a pot roast with potatoes last night, for a dinner party. My husband forgot to put both meals in the refrigerator! Is this food safe to eat?

It depends on how long the food remained unrefrigerated.  After about 2 hours, bacteria may start to grow and possibly contaminate the food.  I hope the food wasn't out for longer than 2 hours!

I left a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing on the counter for about 3 hours. Is it stil ok to eat with the cream cheese icing?

To ensure quality and food safety, the cake should be refrigerated within 2 hours.  You run the risk of bacterial contamination by leaving the cream cheese icing out.  Cream cheese is an ideal environment for mould and bacteria to grow on. 

Can you reheat grilled salmon

Yes, provided it has been handled properly.  Reheat to an internal temperature of 63º C or 145º F.

I prepared chuck roast last night before going to bed with veggies for the crock pot. I placed them in the crock pot (I guess being tired) with the cold water and did not turn it on until this morning. The house is relatively cool and the pot was sealed with the cold water/veggies in it.  Is this ok as it was cooking on high all day?

Cooking all day may not make your chuck roast safe if it was left at temperatures above 4 degrees C/40 degrees F for longer than two hours as in your case here.  There is a risk that harmful bacteria may have developed in so greater numbers that they would not be all destroyed by the cooking.  Furthermore, some bacteria can produce toxins that are not destroyed by heat; toxins that can make you sick.  Throw everything out. 

Hi!  I would like to gain some time in the preparation of a slow cooked meal in a slow cooker.  Therefore, can I brown my beef cubes the night before, put those cubes along with vegetables and broths in the slow cooker dish in the refrigerator.  The morning after, put the dish in the slow cooker, set it at low and let it go for 10 hours.  Would that be hazardous?  Thank you!

Partial cooking such as browning the beef cubes followed by refrigerating and cooking in the morning is a risky practice. The inside of the cubes have been warmed enough to increase the risk of harmful bacteria growing to dangerous levels. 

I left unopened frozen garlic bread out overnight on accident. When found, I tossed it into the freezer. Should this be okay after cooking in the oven at the 400 degree F instructions?

The frozen garlic bread left at room temperature overnight may not be safe after cooking to 400 degrees F as directed on the label.  The label most likely instructs to bake the garlic from its frozen state and not once it is thawed overnight.

We went to the store and bought 1/2 the store. Mostly frozen foods like chicken pot pies, lasagna, pizza rolls (& combination pizzas), & veggies...etc.. stayed in the car (around 65 F) for about 5 hours while we could not leave our friends. Are there (and if so what) risks are there from poisoning from refreezing?

The risk from refreezing food thawed at room temperature can be contamination with harmful bacteria. The degree of risk depends on when during the five hours the food was completely thawed. This requires checking each package. The degree of risk occurs and increases when left unrefrigerated for longer than two hours after thawing.The degree of risk also depends on the type of food. For example, the vegetables may be refrozen but with loss of quality.If in doubt, throw out the food.

Bought ribs put into fridge at zero celcius. How long can uncooked ribs stay in fridge?

Raw pork ribs can be refrigerated 2-3 days at temperatures of 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) or below.

How long can mashed potatoes be kept in the fridge?

As long as the mashed potatoes have not been left unrefrigerated longer than 2 hours, they may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

We left our cooked Easter ham on the counter,covered w/aluminulm foil overnight. Is it safe to eat, or should we trash it?

A cooked ham left on the counter overnight may not be safe to eat. When left at room temperature longer than two hours ( one hour in the summer) harmful bacteria may have developed.

I made Lasagna last night and we ate it at 6:30 pm. I set it on the counter to cool off because it was way to hot to put in refrigerator at that time. (is it true you should not put it in the fridge if it's too hot)? I woke at 8 am and saw it still on the counter,:( is it still good? I'm pretty sure it's garbage, right? Thanks Diane

Yes,it has to go in the garbage as it has spent to much time at room temperature.  It is fine to put warm food in the refrigerator as today's appliances are built for that.  But if you thought it was too hot, separate the lasagna in shallow container to accelerate the process of cooling down and let sit no more than 30 minutes before putting it in the refrigerator.

How long can hot foods be kept in a warmer?

When keeping foods hot, you have to make sure that the internal temperature that you will have to keep them is at 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) and above at all time.  If the temperature dips lower than that, it owuld be dangerous to serve that food because there are risks that harmull bacteria may multiply and cause food poisoning.

I left cream-based tomato soup out overnight. Is it safe to eat if I reheat it well?

No the soup might not be safe to eat even if you reheat it well because it contains perishable ingredients that have been exposed to room temperature for more than 2 hours.  Throw it out. 

I took a package of frozen chicken breasts out at 7am yesterday morning. I wasn't feeling well, and fell asleep when I got home from work. I just saw the chicken still in it's package, thawed on the counter. It is 9am the next day. Do I throw out- or is it safe to feed the dog with or cook at a high temperature?

The chicken breasts should be thrown out and they are no other alternative to it.  The meat spent way to much time a room temperature that any higher cooking temperatures used would not be enough to destroy the bacterial growth and the toxin production.  Animals react sensibly the same way as human when it comes to food poisoning.  Throw it out.

I took a package of frozen chicken breasts out at 7am yesterday morning. I wasn't feeling well, and fell asleep when I got home from work. I just saw the chicken still in it's package, thawed on the counter. It is 9am the next day. Do I throw out- or is it safe to feed the dog with or cook at a high temperature?

Your chicken breasts should go directly in the garbage.  Do not even think of feeding the dog with them even if you overcooked them.  Animal could get food poisoning the same way humans do.  The chicken breasts have spent more the 2 hours at room temperature and are unfit for consumption.  That is the reason why it is so important to thaw food in the refrigerator.  Throw them out!

I left raw pork out for a few hours at room temp. will it be ok to eat after it has been cooked?

If the raw pork was left at tomme temperature for more than 2 hours it should not be consumed. 

My daughter bought a ring of smoked meat and a pack of smoked weiners she forgot them at work over night would they still be ok to eat because they are smoked?

I would imagine that your daughter purchased the meat from a refrigerated counter and the fact that the meat has been smoked doesn't prevent the need to be kept refrigerated.  So, while forgetting them at work, they were left at room temperature, they should be throwm out because the risk of harmful bacterial growth is very present and cause food poisoning.

My husband wrapped smoked ribs right from the smoker in tinfoil and towels and put them in a ice chest to stay warm. He forgot about them till the next day (apx 15 hours).They were still warm from the wrapping. Are they safe to eat?

Those smoked ribs should have been refrigerated as soon as possible after been pulled out of the smoker.  This is what happened when we leave them out, we forget about it.  They should not be eaten.  The fact that he find them warm could mean that they were at the right incubating temperature for harmful bacteria (coming from heat resistant spores) to growth and cause food poisoning.  It wll be a greater risk to consume them.  Foodborne bacteria do not smell nor do they change the texture or the taste of food but they can cause a lot of health problems.  The ribs should be thrown out.

I left an unopen package of hotdogs in the microwave over night are they any good? It doesnt say to refrigerate.

Hot dogs are perishable and if left at room temperature for more than two hours, they should be thrown out even if packaging do not give recommendation to refrigerate them.

Forgot to refrigerate hamburger that was thawing. It was left all day and no longer cold when I returned from work, discard the meat?

Absolutely.  That meat has to be garbaged.  It was left all day at room temperature.  Knowing how dangerous it could be eating raw hamburger meat, imagine if it had the time to incubate all that long.  It is so important to thaw meat in the refrigerator all the time.  At least, if it is fogotten for a day or two, it would have been in the refrigerator and not sitting on the counter.

My husband forgot to put some fresh caught fish in the freezer and were left out overnight are they still ok to eat or not?

If the fish was left at room temperature overnight, it will have to be thrown out as it has spent more than 2 hours in the danger zone located between 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) and 60 degrees C (140 degrees F).  However, if the fish was refrigerated overnight, then it can be put in the freezer after being properly wrapped.

Did a stupid thing! Had made Hamburger Helper, but had to go out before it cooled and I could refrigerate it. It sat for five hours in a frying pan with a lid on it before I noticed it! I put it into the fridge and had half a place of it for lunch the next day, which was 16 hours ago. Will I still get sick from it? I normally throw things out, but did not this time!

Chances that you could get sick are real depending of the microorganisms that could be involved.  Give yourself at least 48 hours.  After that, chances will diminish as time goes by.   If you are healthy and if the meat was properly cooked, you might not have any symtoms.  Cooking food kills the bacteria that could be present but will not destroy any spores that could be present.  Those spores would need time and proper conditions to develop and multiply in numbers that could cause problems.  Just monitor yourself for up to a week and if any symptoms appear and persist, consult a physician. 

Thank you for answering my last question regarding leaving hamburger helper in frying pan with lid for 5 1/2 hours. My question now is, what symptoms do I keep an eye out for?

As mentioned, as days will go by, if you do not experienced, nausea, fever, abdominal cramps, diarhhea and vomiting, you will be fine.  These are the principal symptoms to watch for.  You might just have a slight diarrhea that would not last and you will be fine.  If you are strong and healthy, chances are on your side.  You might not get any of those symptoms.

I brought home a beef rib bone for my dog two days ago and forgot to give it to her. It has been sitting out since then. Is it safe to give the rib to my dog?

If the bone was not refrigerated during all that time, it would be dangerous to give it to your dog the same way as for an human being.  Domestic animals would react or would be more sensitive to food poisoning bacteria than human.  So the 2 hour rule applies here too.  If it was exposed for more than 2 hours (one hour in the sumer season) at room temperature, it should be thrown out which is the case here (2 days!!!)

Is it safe to eat a foil wrapped baked potato that was left out on the counter overnight if it is reheated properly?

It would not be safe even if you reheated it properly.  Potatoes are know to carry a lot of spores that would resist the heat and develop to eventually produce toxins that could make you sick.  Once cooked in foil they need to be refrigerated within two hours after they are done.  In your case, it has been at room temperature for too long of a period of time.  Throw it out!

Just curious as to how long a typical bag lunch can stay out at room temperature before being considered a health and safety risk with accordance to the food and safety act.

It will depends of what that lunch bag would contain.  Usually the golden rule is two hours at room temperature.  After that time any food considered perishable could become a health hazard especially if that lunch has been prepared for a young child.  The best thing to do is to refrigerate it upon arrival at school for example or pack the lunch in an insulated lunch bag with a frozen carton of juice or a frozen gel pack. 

My pork ribs were thawed for 8 hrs. at room temp. Are they still ok??

Absolutely not.  The pork ribs should have been thawed in the refrigerator.  Throw them out!

My daughter accidently left fresh beef ribs on the counter all night. When she woke up the next morning she put it in the freezer right away. Is that safe to eat?

Not at all.  The meat has spent more than 2 hours (one hour in summer time) at room temperature.  Harmful bacteria and toxin production were growing and produce.  Throw them out!

We had baked potatoes last nite. We left the unused ones out to cool and forgot to put them in the refrigerator. They were greeting me this morning! I put them in the fridge but I was hoping you would respond before tonight's supper.  Are they OK to eat tonight?

Potatoes once cooked, baked and what not are perishable food if they are not properly kept.  In your case, the baked potatoes have spent more than two hours at room temperature and should not be consumed.  Even if they were baked, spores that resist the heat would eventually germinate and bacteria resulting would grow possibly producing toxins that can make you sick.  Whenever leftovers are done with, it is preferable to put them in the refrigerator right away (even warm).  This way you would not forget about them and you will not have to throw them out as you have to do now.

I cooked a 8 qt pan of chili and when i went to bed at 10:30 it was still boiling left it out and put in refrigerator at 6:30 will it still be good to eat? thank you

If your chili has spent more than 2 hours in the danger zone of between 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) and 60 degrees C (140 degrees F), it might be hazardous and risky to eat as spores that resist the cooking heat will thrive in the danger zone.  In warm danger zone temperatures, they will multiply fast and could produce toxins that are not destroy by heat.  Those toxins can make you very sick.  It is always important to put perishable foods in the refrigerator as soon as possible after cooking; even if they are still hot.

I cooked a whole chicken and when I went to strip it I found it had giblets that were in the center in some sort of bag? Is it still safe to feed my dog?

If you are confident that the chicken itself has reached an internal cooking temperature of 85 degrees C (185 degrees F) and that you would eat the giblets yourself without having second thoughts, it will be safe to feed the dog.  However, if you have any doubts, you will have to throw them out; including your whole chicken.  So I mean that if the chicken is fully cooked so should be the giblets.  Dogs would react the same way as human being when it comes to food poisoning.  If it is good for you, it is good for the dog.

I have a cupboard that gets quite warm in the summer, is it safe to keep canned goods in it?

Canned goods are safe at room temperatures.  If they are exposed at a higher temperature it is possible that thermophilic bacteria (bacteria that would growth at higher temperatures) would grow and spoiled the product.  Bloating of the can could occur then.

I baked potatoes in the oven and then forgot about them at a dinnerparty the next evening i saw them in there and ate one...stomach is killing me any suggestions?

If you feel sick, you might have to see a physician.  Those potatoes should have been thrown out as they were at room temperature for longer than two hours.  The baking softens the potatoes making them good for bacterial growth and dangerous for consumption.

I put a pork roast in the oven pre heated to 425. I reduced the heat to 350 and set the timer. After just under two hours I noticed the oven had turned off. Is it still safe to cook the roast and eat it?

It is hard to answer the question because you do not know within these two hours, how long the oven was turned off.  It would mean that the timer was not set properly as the oven turned itself off prematurely.  I would believe that the roast would be good to cook as long as the cooking took place right away after you have found the oven off.

I cooked a pork roast last night and took it out about 11:00pm. It was left out over night. I realized it this morning and put in the fridge. The bottom was still warm. Is it O.K. to eat?

It will be risky to eat that pork roast since it has stayed at room temperature for more than 2 hours.  Harmful bacteria issued from spores resisting heat could growth and make you sick.  The fact too that the bottom was still warm; at incubation temperature may accelerate their growth.  It should be discarded.

We heard baout the recall of some cheese that we could have bought and has been contaminated by Listeria.  Should we throw away foods that are in the refrigerator such as vegetables and fruits?  Cheese was well wrapped in bags for the refrigerator.  Thank you!

If the contaminated and recalled cheese has been directly in contact with other foods, you will need to throw them out.  If the cheese was in its own bag, there is no need to throw away other foods stored in the same refrigerator.  Food must have contact such as using a cutting board without sanitizing it between uses.

I made vegetarian soup using lots of spices. i turned off the burner of the stove at approx. 1am. Its 0900 (am) and the soup is still warm. i didnt put any meat in it..only veggies,beans .. is it ok to eat? also, my friend thinks eggs are ok at room temp. he bought a carton 3days ago and the eggs are still on the counter..not gooo to eat right? thanks for your help! d

It will be risky to consume the vegetarian soup and the eggs as both have been exposed at room temperature (or in the danger zone) for over two hours.  Even if the soup was still warm, spores present from the vegetables and the spices and resisting heat from cooking could develop and cause food poisoning by themselves and/or their toxins produced.  It should be thrown out.   As for your friend's eggs, 3 days at room temperature is way to much of a long time.  It is known that Salmonella could be passed from the chicken into the eggs.

I had left the question about the split pea soup left out overnight....I meant to also say there is no meat in in the soup, and it was covered all night. Does that make a difference?

With meat or without meat, and even covered all night, it doesn't make much difference at this point.  You have to throw that soup out because it has been exposed at room temperature for more than two hours.

I cooked Hamburger Helper on Sunday (two days ago), ate some and left the rest in a covered casserole in the fridge. Is it still safe to eat?

Your hamburger helper shoudl be good to eat as long as you refrigerated left-over shortly after cooking.

I bought a quail that I cooked and pulled out of the stove at around 11 pm.  My husband put it in the refrigerator at 6 am.  It has stayed at room temperature for 5 hours but when he put it in the refrigerator, it was lukewarm.  Can we eat it?

The quail should have been refrigerated as soon as it came out of the oven.  It has stayed at temperatures in the danger zone (between 4 degrees C (40 F) and 60 degrees C (140 F)) for more than two hours and even if it was fully cooked, there are presence of heat resistant spores that will multiply in that comfort zone.  You are risking to suffer from food poisoning if you eat it. Throw it out.

I left a box full of chicken in the freezer and the freezer was left open. The next day I came and checked and the chicken was warm.. Can i cook the chicken?

If the chicken was warm, you must throw it away as you do not have a clue of the time it has been at warm temperature.  Do not cook it. Throw it out.

What are the risks if i cooked frozen meat that was left at room tempurature overnight?

The risks are high.  Frozen meat should be thawed in the refrigerator.  At room temperature overnight, the surface will thaw faster than the interior and knowing that bacteria will be found mainly on the surface, they will start to grow and go faster as the temperature rises.  That is why t is so important to thaw meat in the refrigerator.

I boiled 3 whole chickens and turned the burner off after they were fully cooked. I left them in the hot water for 3 hours before refrigerating, are they okay to eat?

It depends of how hot your water remainded at.  If the temperature was above 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) for at least an hour in you three hours before refrigeration, they will be okay to refrigerated.  However, if that temperature was in the danger zone (4 degrees C (40 degrees F) and 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) for more than 2 hours, it would be risky to eat them.

Can leaving cooked food uncovered overnight in the microwave,cause a moldy smell...or is that from food splatter?

Moldy smell or not, that food should be thrown out covered or uncovered.  Do not consume it.  It has spent to much time at room temperature to be good to eat.  As for the moldy odour, they develop with time and would come from splattering.

I cooked a huge pot of veggie soup most of yesterday, and finally added some cooked chicken to it and cooked a few hours longer...then i turned it off but it was too hot to put in ice box...i fell asleep for 4 hours and then woke up and put the soup in ice box...will it be ok to eat? what if I remove the chicken? would hate to lose the money of all the veggies i put in there...thanks.

If you can be sure that you soup has not been in the danger zone for more than 2 hours  (danger zone:  between 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) and 60 degrees C (140 degrees F)), it will be safe to eat.  Otherwise, you may be at risk of food poisoning.  Removing the chicken will not improve the safety of the soup.  Once the soup was done, it should have been put in shallow containers to cool it down as soon as possible and put it in the refrigerator.

I had an arguement at a family dinner in which I would not allow silverware to be left in a dish my fridge. I was told there is nothing wrong with that but I felt it was the same concept as leaving a metal can in the fridge. Is it harmful to eat food from the fridge after silverware was left in? If not harmful, I think its kind of disgusting anyway.

It would depend of the type of food and the time of storage.  High acid foods such as tomato base foods, frutis etc...  would have a tendency to reach with the metal as in a can for example, tarnishing it and make chemicals leach in the food.  It is always preferable to store leftover foods in a plastic or glass containers.

Tonight when I came home and I saw that my room mate had made pasta. When I looked in the cupboard, I saw that she had put the opened, uncooked jar of tomato sauce back in it. I told her you have to refrigerate tomato sauce after opening it. She then informed me that she had already opened it two weeks ago, and it had been sitting in the cupboard (open, uncooked), this whole time. I told her that I think the sauce is definitely bad now, but she said she feels fine. Should I expect a very sick room mate all night?

There is possibility that your room mate could be sick.  Although tomatoes are quite high in acid in nature, having an opened jar in the cupboard would accelerate the growth of microorganisms or even moulds.  The latter can produce toxins that could make people sick.  Furthermore some mould toxins are known to be carcinogenic.  You do not mentioned if the jar was commercially prepared.  If so, the sauce had to be cooked in the jar during processing.  But once opened and exposed to air without refrigeration, it can make someone sick.

If I left hot sausage out for over 24 hours is it still good to eat

No, those sausages should be thrown out because they spent too much time at room temperature.

I took chicken out on Saturday, thawed in fridge, can I use on Monday?

Yes you still can used on Monday.  Your chicken took some time to thaw.  Once thaw, it should be cooked in two to three days.

I made homemade tomato sauce for spaghetti last night. Just cans of tomato sauce, onions and garlic, and dried herbs. Forgot to refrigerate it until this morning - 8 hours later. Is it still safe to eat? Thanks

No, absolutely not.  Consuming this product could make yourself and your family at risk of food poisoning.  The spaghetti sauce has spent to much time at room temperature, the danger zone allowing heat resistant spores to germinate, growth and produce toxins.  Sorry, but you will have to throw it out.




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