Making sure that leftovers are safe to eat can help prevent infections that can have serious consequences.
This month a case of 2021 documented in the New England Journal of Medicine in which a young American from 19 years who suffered organ failure and the amputation of both legs after eating spoiled leftover food.
Although food poisoning can often make people sick for a short time, infections caused by common bacteria, including Salmonella, Listeria, and E .coli, can also develop serious illness and cause death.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that Salmonella bacteria cause about 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States each year.
How to ensure leftovers are safe to eat
1. Food cooked at home or leftovers brought home from a restaurant should be refrigerated within the first two hours.
“The faster food enters the refrigerator, the less chance of bacterial growth ”, states the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Roasts, hams and turkeys whole should be sliced or cut into smaller pieces or portions before storing in the refrigerator.
Use clean, tight-fitting containers.
2. Perishable foods that have been left at room temperature for more than two hours or for one hour at room temperature above should be discarded. °F.
Bacteria in food grow rapidly at temperatures between 90°F. and 140°F.
3. Consume leftovers in a short period of time. Leftovers stored properly in the refrigerator will be safe for three to four days. Check the refrigerator temperature, it should be kept at 90 °F or less, to refrigerators that are hotter than they should be.
In the freezer (at 0°F), leftover cooked meat and poultry can be stored for 2 to 6 months.
4. Reheat leftovers just enough. When reheating foods containing meat or poultry, an internal temperature of at least should be verified. °F with a food thermometer.
Sauces, soups, and gravies should be heated to boiling.
When reheating leftovers in the microwave, distribute the food evenly on plate, cover and stir halfway through heating to avoid cold spots.
When using the oven for reheating, set the oven temperature to no less than 325 °F.
5. Do not reheat leftover slow cookers as food can remain in the “danger zone” (between 40 and 140 °F) by far time.
6. Never taste food to determine if it is good. Harmful bacteria that can make you seriously ill cannot be seen or smelled in food. Bacteria and other visible microorganisms are those that cause decomposition.
Proper preparation and handling of food, correct storage, as well as reheating food to a suitable temperature are basic measures to make leftover food prepared at home or in a restaurant are safe to eat.
You may be interested in:
–What is listeriosis, a disease you can get from eating cheese
–Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: it could cause blindness and mental deficiency in the baby, how to avoid it?
–Which people are most at risk of food poisoning
–What temperature should beef, chicken and fish reach when cooked for safe consumption
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What to cook today
Dominican pastries, for all times
Prepare these Dominican cupcakes and fill them with whatever you want.