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February 17, 2009 11:42 PM

I baked chicken last night and accidentally left it out for six hours before refrigerating. Is it safe to eat?

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February 17, 2009 11:59 PM
Don't take any chances...
According to the USDA:
"Perishable food should never be left out of refrigeration more than two hours. This is true even if there are no meat products on the pizza. Foodborne bacteria that may be present on these foods grow fastest at temperatures between 40 and 140 °F and can double in number every 20 minutes. "

I feel your pain though. One night I was making the 'Sunday gravy' (pasta sauce) in the crock pot and forgot to plug it in...Meatball and everything had to be tossed. : (
Source(s):
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Safety_Tips_for_College_Students/

Asker's Rating:
• Thanks for the info. I figured I could just heat it up and it would be okay, but I've had salmonella poisoning before and it surely isn't fun, so I played it on the safe side and threw it out.
Sigh...quesadilla for dinner it is!


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February 18, 2009 12:04 AM
Depends on how adventurous you are. According to the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety, the answer is no.

"Foods left out of the fridge and freezer
The Two-Hour Rule

Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers, within two hours. Discard food left in the Danger Zone longer than two hours. This includes food in the car, picnics, and food left on the counter.

Danger Zone is between 4ºC (40ºF) and 40ºC (140ºF). "

"How long can cooked chicken be kept out? We had cooked chicken in the fridge, then my daughter left it out overnight. How about butter, can it be left on the counter, or should it be in the fridge between use? Thanks.
If cooked chicken is left on the counter at room temperature longer than one hour ( two hours in the winter) it should be discarded. There is an increased risk it will be contaminated with harmful bacteria. To preserve quality, butter should be kept in the refrigerator between uses."

http://www.canfightbac.org/cpcfse/en/cookwell/ask/left_out_fridge/#222

http://www.dietitian.com/foodsafety.html

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February 18, 2009 12:34 AM
Probably not. If you want to risk it, be sure to reheat it as thoroughly as possible to kill any bacteria that may have grown while it was sitting out.

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February 18, 2009 01:11 AM
ok, so i am going to buck the trend. i say yes just eat it. I have done it and i know it is not the pc thing to say. (but this is my disclaimer that i do not work for the FDA and i can not be trusted lol.)

i have left things out overnight and eaten them the next morning. i know, it sounds gross, but sometimes a busy mom just isn't thinking and just plain doesn't care. i will say in my defense that i have an excellent immune system and never get sick so i just don't worry about things like that.

If the chicken was cooked properly to begin with and your home is not a sauna (we keep it pretty chill in here, i left butter out on the counter to soften and after 3 hours it was still hard) then i say go ahead. If you plan on heating it then all the better. get it nice and hot and i wouldn't worry. I would be more freaked out by the possibility of a bug having been on it (spider season here gets very bad!!)

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February 18, 2009 01:17 AM
It might be absolutely fine--BUT if its not, you'll get really sick. So, its not worth risking it for the several dollars you'd waste.
Here are some of the bacteria that could have been running rampant through the chicken while it sat on the counter...
# Campylobacter jejuni
# Clostridium botulinum
# Listeria monocytogenes
# Salmonella
# Staphylococcus aureus

Don't risk it.
Source(s):
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fttmeat.html


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