How to ensure leftovers are safe to eat

Julie Mazziotta

Thanks to TikTok, a 2021 case study about a man who went into organ failure and needed amputations (截肢) after eating leftovers went viral online, bringing up questions about how to avoid the same outcome.

Randy Worobo, a professor of food science at Cornell University, said,“The bacteria that most commonly cause food poisoning grew in his leftovers.That bacteria can cause ill⁃ness and death.”

To stay safe, food consumers need to remember“three golden rules”: ensure proper preparation and cook foods to the correct temperatures; allow for proper cooling and get food refrigerated within four hours; and properly reheat foods to an internal temperature of 165 ℃.“If you follow those three golden rules, you're going to have a small chance of get⁃ting a foodborne illness,”Worobo said.

He also pointed out that people need to check their refrigerator temperature, because the majority of consumers have refrigerators that are warmer than they should be, which is 41 ℃or below.

For people who are in doubt about if their leftovers are safe to eat, Worobo recom⁃mended three days as the cut⁃off.They can also check for any spoilage (腐坏)in the food,such as a smell or mold (发霉), which is absolutely a sign that it should get tossed.

“Nutrient⁃dense”foods like meat and seafood are more likely to go bad,because the pH of those products is more suitable for pathogens to grow out of.

To avoid getting food poisoning, Worobo emphasized, the key is following those three rules of proper preparation,proper refrigeration and proper reheating.

Reading Check

What's the“three golden rules”?

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