The concept of eating leftover food has been widely debated. Consuming food from the previous day or night surely saves money, time and energy. But, it comes with its own risks.
However, according to Primrose Freestone, senior lecturer in clinical microbiology at the University of Leicester, there are some food safety measures that you can take before eating leftover food.
According to Freestone, leftovers should be consumed within two days and they should be refrigerated between 0-5 degree Celsius to prevent the growth of bacteria.
If you think that you won’t be able to consume leftovers within the given time frame, freezing it at -18 degree Celsius can preserve it for up to 3 months.
In addition, ensure that your leftover food is piping hot. Reheating food at a temperature of at least 74 degree Celsius will inactivate most of the bacteria.
As per Freestone, one should really not reheat leftover food more than once. Reheating more than once makes it harder to kill bacteria.
If you have ordered food and there is some leftover, make sure you store it correctly. If you have eaten some of the food and then stored it in the fridge within 2 hours, it is safe to reheat.
However, if the food has been lying at room temperature for over 2 hours, it is best to not reheat it for consumption as it may cause food poisoning.