After leftovers in the fridge a source of security… and for the more neurotic, stress. On the one hand, it’s nice to know that a meal is ready and waiting for you when hunger strikes. However, if you eat it before it goes bad, it’s an impossible race against time.
Food poisoning it’s no joke, so it’s no wonder why a casserole that’s been sitting for days can be more depressing than tempting. However, the hungrier you are, the more tempting it can be to think there is a way reset it’s the hour—especially when reliable sources are promoting the idea that a spin in the microwave is enough to extend the life of food by another three or four days.
Basically, the thinking behind the theory is that as long as you reheat a pot before it’s gotten to the point where disease-causing pathogens can multiply, you’re constantly delaying it from infecting them at all. While that would be great if true – how convenient would it be to eat the same food over and over or, more likely, until there’s none left? food safety professionals we talked about how there is little more to the idea than wishful thinking.
Here’s why they say you can never start old food again, how to err on the side of caution with that pasta in the fridge, and what you can do to make the most of your leftovers before they run out.
First: What makes the residue dangerous?
Food poisoning the presence of pathogens – i.e. disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites – causes what we eat, but which is generally less understood when they create and where they come from there.
Harmful strains of bacteria enter our food through various channels: cross-contamination during preparation, improper washing of ingredients, and even simple contact with germs on your hands for cooking, such as a dirty light switch or faucet. Bill Sullivan, Ph.DShowalter, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine, tells SELF.
Working in a clean environment, washing your hands regularly, avoiding recalled foods, and exercising caution with potential cross-contamination, such as washing tongs touching raw chicken, will limit the presence of these types of bacteria. And if harmful pathogens never get in, it’s much more likely that they won’t appear at all. (Leftovers still go bad, but the bacteria responsible aren’t necessarily the ones that make you sick.)
