How to avoid food poisoning at home
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
United States
January 20, 2016 7:55am CST
I was discussing the weather (naturally!) with someone in New Jersey - which is where we lived prior to moving south. It is possible they wind up with a few feet of snow the end of the week. That led her to say that she cooked a turkey Sunday and they have lots of leftovers to eat if they get snowed in.
Hum, that got my brain to thinking. Today is Wednesday that means those leftovers are three days old already. I know from prior experience that three (maybe four) days is the 'leftover-limit'. Not that they last that long in my house!
I trust the Mayo Clinic for good information and they say the same thing....3-4 daya in the fridge, then they hit the trash. If you keep them longer you could put yourself, your family and friends at risk for food poisoning.
You can read all about it at the Mayo Clinic Link I am providing. It is very simple to avoid food poisoning at home if you follow proper food handling and storage recommendations.
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15 people like this
16 responses
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
We very seldom have leftovers, I try to cook just enough for one meal.
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (502729)
• Italy
20 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill I also try to cook only what I am sure we eat. I have leftovers when I prepare a big pan of lasagne, but I do this on purpose, so I can freeze three or four portions to have them ready.
2 people like this
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@LadyDuck when making stuff like soup I will freeze a large part of it.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (40052)
• Toccoa, Georgia
20 Jan 16
On occasion, I may eat leftover meat on the fourth day. I know that is not good, but I have not gotten food poisoned yet. I need to be careful , I know.
My brother in law, wont eat any kind of left over food even if it is one day old because he did get food poisoned once and had to have a portion of his intestines removed. So , I see where he is coming from even though he is a little extreme about throwing 1 day food out.
2 people like this
@LeaPea2417 (40052)
• Toccoa, Georgia
20 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill He learned something in the past year. He feels best by eating a pure Gluten Free Diet.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@LeaPea2417 I tried a few gluten free items and they were OK, but not sure I'd switch completely.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
I don't blame him, I have enough stomach issues so I understand how he could be worried.
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
20 Jan 16
I try not to eat leftovers for more than 2 days! And, If I know there is too much I will share with my family or we'd freeze them. At 3-4 days, it'd be in the trash.
But definitely good to know! If I get invited to left over party, I'll ask when was this last served.
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill It may be rude to ask but sometimes people don't serve fresh made food. Or they have extras and invite people. I don't regularly attend these parties but yes! I've been invited, it goes like this we have tons of leftovers come by!
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@infatuatedbby Oh OK, I've had pot luck dinners but leftover pot luck LOL!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
people have 'leftover' parties? Interesting - and a place to avoid.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
My husband isn't real fond of leftovers so I try to judge just enough for one meal.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
Especially with turkey and stuffing, it could be bad.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
I knew you wouldn't eat old food!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189927)
• Boise, Idaho
20 Jan 16
I always freezed some. Leftovers are good but not for a long time. Three minutes is what I always use too.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189927)
• Boise, Idaho
20 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill ...Yes, it does. Warm milk and honey added makes for a nice breakfast.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@celticeagle I'm a 'goodie' eater for breakfast, has to be cake or something...bad I know.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
I have leftover rice in the fridge from yesterday...that stuff turns to cement in a day!
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
That's the best way if you know you can't eat them all...I don't think my friend thinks about such stuff.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
20 Jan 16
I have learned to freeze some things, if I know I made too much
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
We have lots of 'leftovers' frozen away waiting for the day I'll need them! LOL
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@Jessicalynnt as least you had that to fall back on for a while.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
20 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill we did, but this whole not spending money thing was great for cleaning out the freezer!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24028)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 16
Absolutely but if it is frozen then it would last a lot longer but should not be recooked only reheated.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
21 Jan 16
I try to cook just the amount we need, out freezer is full and we need to use some of that up!
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
21 Jan 16
@boiboing What is rewarded rice? I don't know what kind of 'diet' you eat but bacteria can grow on anything.
@boiboing (13147)
• Northampton, England
21 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill if you heat it to piping hot and don't mess with rewarded rice, there's not too much in my diet that could make me sick.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
Tomato based products are the worst for bacteria growing in the fridge.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@TheHorse My mother had tummy problems years ago - my father had a jar of tomato sauce in the fridge that he would heat up a little of it and put it back in the fridge...doc told him to get rid of it! It was too old to be good. That's why she was sick...this was back in the 80's...she survived!
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238349)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill Good to know...adios, spaghetti sauce!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
I def. said something, I don't know if she will listen or not.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@DianneN LOL! She's not real bright sometimes and its ok to say that since no one knows who I'm talking about.
2 people like this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill Good for saying something. If she lives, we can considerate it an experiment of sorts!!!
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
20 Jan 16
Two words stuck out to me in the article - contaminated food. Now I've made many turkeys in my day, and I've refrigerated the leftovers at the end of the meal. I don't consider something I just ate as contaminated.
Now granted my leftovers rarely lasted past four days, but I can also say nobody ever suffered food poisoning from turkey leftovers.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
Food poisoning — also called foodborne illness — is caused by harmful organisms, such as bacteria in contaminated food.
You read it incorrectly. They are talking about food left in the fridge more than 3-4 days....it can become contaminated.
2 people like this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
26 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill Thank you for clarifying.
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15724)
• Canada
15 Aug 17
I will have to remember that. I'm not sure that we have a rule of thumb, but I think that we try to clean it out as soon as possible because no one likes to cook lol!
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
15 Aug 17
I love to cook, and I try to cook just enough for one meal at a time. Love your name!
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
20 Jan 16
I must agree with this one. It's not a good idea to keep leftover for more than a couple of days.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jan 16
If a chef on TV said it I wouldn't pay much attention, but when the Mayo Clinic says it, I pay attention!
1 person likes this
