How long unrefrigerated food

URL Name. Related Articles Is if safe to consume perishable food such as meat or poultry that has been left out at room temperature? Our refrigerator door was left open overnight. Is the food safe? Is it safe to refreeze food that has thawed? Trending Articles How long is meat or poultry safe to use after the sell-by date?

Just ONE bacterium, doubling every 20 minutes, can grow to over 2,, bacteria in 7 hours! Reheating food may not make it safe. If food is left out too long, some bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus staph , can form a heat-resistant toxin that cooking can't destroy.

One of the most common sources of staph bacteria is the human body. Even healthy people carry staph — according to the U. Food and Drug Administration's Bad Bug Book , staph bacteria are present in the nasal passages and throats and on the hair and skin of 50 percent or more of healthy individuals. Staph bacteria is found in facial blemishes, cuts and lesions. If you cut or cook any of these fruits, though, they should be immediately stored in the fridge to avoid bacterial growth.

Peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, and ginger don't have to be stored in your fridge and onions, tomatoes and potatoes should not be stored in the fridge at all, according to Spoon University. Onions and tomatoes can start to grow mold if they're kept in the fridge and the cooler temperatures break down the starch in potatoes and make them get grainy.

World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Ann Schmidt. The USDA says food that has been left out of the fridge for more than two hours should be thrown away. At room temperature, bacteria grows incredibly fast and can make you sick.

Reheating something that has been sitting at room temperature for longer than two hours won't be safe from bacteria. Make banana bread! Freshly laid eggs can stay at room temperature for about a month. However, if you buy your eggs from the refrigerator section at the grocery store, you must keep your eggs refrigerated from there on out.

Those who raise their own chickens can keep unwashed farm-fresh eggs on the counter until use within a couple of weeks. Washed eggs, like those at the supermarket, must remain cooled in order to keep bacteria at bay. The warmer the room, however, the less time meat should be left out. And no, cooking or reheating meat that has been left out for over two hours does not kill the bacteria. According to Foodsafety. Although you should try not to keep your cheese platters out at room temperature for more than two hours, Dairy Good notes that the moisture content in some cheeses give them more leeway than others.

Moister cheeses, those being soft, unripened or ripened cheeses, are more perishable than cheeses made with pasteurized milk. And if your cheese platter was out up until the two hour mark, discard your soft cheeses but rewrap your hard cheeses and refrigerate to serve again.

Keep in mind, dairy-based foods such as dips, spreads, and anything containing milk or cream should not be left out for more than two hours.