In this article, Mr. Gu has sorted out 6 kinds of leftovers that can no longer be eaten and must be thrown out, in order to eat safely and avoid food poisoning, you must see the end.
First, leftover spinach overnight
▲Photo: Photogram Network
Some experiments have found that fried spinach even if refrigerated for 16 hours nitrite will exceed the national standard [1], if we still use chopsticks to turn the leftovers, nitrite will exceed the standard more, because nitrite heating can not be removed, for sensitive infants, pregnant women or the elderly, it may cause food poisoning, so spinach is best eaten as a meal.
Second, leftover cold dishes
Cold dishes are not heated, and some bacteria will be introduced into the ingredients and processing. Even if you put it in the refrigerator, these bacteria that have been produced will not be killed, but some bacteria will continue to multiply, and it is easy to get food poisoning when you take it out and eat it directly.
There was news two days ago that Hangzhou Uncle Huang drank porridge in the morning, paired with cold cucumbers refrigerated overnight, and induced septic shock.
Therefore, cold dishes should be eaten as a meal, and the rest must be thrown away ruthlessly.
In addition, about cold dishes to remind 2 points:
1. Do not order cold dishes in small restaurants, it is difficult to separate raw and cooked, and the risk of poisoning is large.
2. Don't take out cold dishes, the hygiene of the production process is difficult to guarantee, the temperature of the distribution process is high, and the bacteria are easy to breed in large quantities.
3. Leave leftovers at room temperature for more than 2 hours
▲Photo: Photogram Network
Bacteria will multiply rapidly in the temperature range of 4~60 °C, which is a dangerous area for food storage, so cooked hot food must be kept warm above 60 °C if not eaten in time.
In addition, the US FDA also proposed a "2-hour rule", that is, whether raw meat or cooked food, do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours, otherwise it will be thrown away, if the temperature exceeds 32 ° C, this time should be shortened to 1 hour. [2]
You might say, how can I leave a prepared dish at room temperature for more than 2 hours?
It's really possible.
For example, when friends gather for dinner, sometimes wait for all the dishes to be served before eating, and the eating battle line is very long, let alone 2 hours, it is possible to continue to eat for three or four hours; In addition, if you eat packed leftovers in a restaurant, it may take a long time on the way home, so don't eat such leftovers and throw them away.
Some friends feel that hot food is directly put in the refrigerator for electricity, so it will be naturally cooled and refrigerated at room temperature, and this process may also take more than 2 hours.
In fact, a small plate or two dishes will not cost a lot of electricity, if you are still worried, then you can completely cut the large piece of meat into small pieces or slices, spread the dish flat into a shallow dish, or divide a pot of soup into small containers, use a small fan to blow to cool down quickly, and then quickly seal it and put it in the refrigerator, but don't wait for the food to cool naturally.
Some friends said, I can't eat at a temperature as high as 32°C?
It is also possible, such as outdoor picnics in summer, then the prepared dishes will be solved within 1 hour, if they cannot be solved, do not eat them, and throw them away directly.
4. Refrigerate leftovers for more than 4 days
▲Photo: Photogram Network
The refrigerator is not a safe, Listeria can also multiply at low temperatures, and the humid environment is especially suitable for the growth of Aspergillus flavus, in case of aflatoxin, thorough heating can not be removed.
According to the recommendations of the US FDA, stews and cooked meat can be refrigerated for 3-4 days, and gravy and broth can be put for up to 1-2 days. [3] Therefore, it is best to eat leftovers at the next meal or the next day, check the refrigerator frequently, but don't put the leftovers out for several days and eat them, even if they are thoroughly heated.
Here is also a reminder that the refrigerator must be completely sealed when refrigerating, such as covering it tightly with a fresh-keeping box, or wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap, using a plate or plastic bag to simply cover it is not completely sealed, my mother often "seals" food like this, if your mother is also, quickly forward this article to her.
5. Leftovers after 4 hours of refrigerator power failure
After the refrigerator power failure, the refrigerator temperature gradually rises, microorganisms begin to recover, easy to multiply in large numbers, so the US CDC recommends that if the power outage exceeds 4 hours, refrigerated leftovers and cut fruits and vegetables, fresh milk, raw meat should be thrown away to avoid food poisoning. [4]
6. Leftovers that have not been thoroughly heated
We eat leftover dishes contaminated with a lot of saliva, which is full of bacteria, and it is easy to poison if not thoroughly heated and sterilized. What is thorough heating?
Professionally, the core temperature of the food is required to reach more than 74 ° C, but our home cooking rarely uses temperature measurement to do, it is recommended to add some water to the dish, constantly turn it, and heat it until the soup is completely boiling. If you heat it in the microwave, stir it once or twice in the middle to let the heat be even.
Also, it is not recommended to use a slow cooker to heat leftovers because it heats up slowly and may promote bacterial growth.
[5]
To summarize:
After cooking, I feel that I can't eat it, so I set out some and seal it quickly, refrigerate it while it's hot, it's best to eat it after meals or overnight, don't put it for three or four days or more, and heat thoroughly until the soup is completely boiled before eating, and the leftovers can be eaten safely and securely.