Thursday, December 5

How bad is it to eat food that has been at room temperature for several hours?

¿Qué tan malo es comer alimentos que han estado varias horas a temperatura ambiente?

Bacteria that can make you sick cannot be seen or smelled in food.

Photo: Polina Tankilevitch / Pexels

It is very likely that you have eaten foods such as rice, pasta, pizza, beans and others, which have remained for several hours at room temperature in the “danger zone” without being affected. But how dangerous can this practice be?

Grandmothers used to say that when food is boiled, it can remain at room temperature for many hours and is not will spoil, but this action, as well as washing the chicken, are not good food safety practices and can make you seriously ill.

Leaving food out for too long at room temperature can cause bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Escherichia coli and other harmful microorganisms to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness.

Some people may say that they “have a strong stomach”, but the reality is that they are playing with their health. There are people with a higher risk of poisoning and that it is more serious and even fatal.

One of the most common causes of foodborne illness is cooling improperly cooked food , notes the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Leftover food should be placed in shallow containers for rapid cooling and refrigerated within the first two hours.

That it does not smell or taste bad, does not mean that it will not make you sick

There are two types of bacteria, those that cause spoilage and pathogenic (dangerous) bacteria.

Bacteria that cause spoilage can cause the food loses quality, develops a bad smell or feels sticky on the outside. These bacteria are generally not harmful.

On the other hand, pathogenic bacteria can cause food poisoning, they cannot be see or smell in food. Although spoilage makes it more likely to be present in your food.

Reheating food that has been out of the refrigerator too long cannot guarantee that it will kill harmful bacteria.

Food poisoning can be fatal

Food poisoning is not only are painful and unpleasant. Sometimes the symptoms can be severe and some of these diseases can even be fatal, as reported by the Centers for the United States Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Among the microbes that are more likely to require hospitalization when they get sick are: Escherichia coli; Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism; Listeria; Escherichia coli and Vibrio.

The CDC estimates that each year 48 millions of people get sick from a foodborne illness, 128 000 are hospitalized and 3000 die.

Symptoms of food poisoning

Common symptoms of diseases transmitted by foods are nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever and diarrhea. Symptoms can vary depending on the type of illness and be more severe.

The “danger zone”

Food should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or 1 hour if the temperature is warm, more than the 90 ° F (32 .2 ° C). If the food will be outside, it should be kept very hot or very cold. Enough 20 minutes for bacteria to double.

The danger zone is a temperature range in which bacteria grow rapidly. This temperature is located between the 40 ° F (4.4 ° C) and the 140 ° F (60 ° C).

It may interest you:

  • What people are more at risk of food poisoning
  • What is listeriosis, a disease you can get from eating cheese
  • 10 foods with a higher risk of causing food poisoning
  • Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: could cause blindness and mental deficiency in the baby