During the end of year holidays, the tables are filled with homemade and abundant dishes, designed to share and celebrate. And, almost always, there is leftover food. Saving it for the next day—or even several days later—is common practice. However, what for many is synonymous with savings and enjoyment can become a health risk if certain precautions are not taken.
Foodborne illnesses are not an exceptional phenomenon nor limited to extreme contexts. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain or dehydration usually increase during festive periods, when cooking is done in large quantities, long meetings take place and dishes remain out of the refrigerator for longer than recommended.
Gastronomy teacher Jonnathan Bermúdez explains that many episodes of food poisoning originate from domestic practices that seem harmless. The problem is not the food itself, but how it is cooled, stored and reheated.he points out. As detailed, one of the most frequent mistakes is underestimating the time that food can remain at room temperature without becoming dangerous.
There is a thermal range that experts call “danger zone”: between 5°C and 60°C. In that interval, bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Bacillus cereus o Clostridium perfringens —popularly known as the overheating bacteria— can multiply quickly. In warm environments, common in the Uruguayan summer, this growth can accelerate to the point of doubling in less than half an hour. A dish that seems safe may no longer be so in a matter of time if it remains out of the cold for more than two hours.
How long is it safe to store food?
Contrary to popular belief, which assumes that “If it doesn’t smell bad, it’s fine.” The useful life of reheated ones is limited. Bermúdez recommends refrigerating food at 4°C or lower as soon as the meal is finished and, if possible, dividing it into small portions so that cooling is rapid and uniform.
As a general reference, cooked meats, rice, stews and similar preparations can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator if handled correctly. In the freezer, at −18°C or lower, they can last several months, although the texture and flavor are altered. Once these periods have been exceeded, the risk of poisoning increases, even when the appearance or smell does not warn of a problem.
Parties tend to relax routines and that is also noticeable in the kitchen. Leaving food served for hours, storing still hot dishes in the refrigerator, reheating only the surface without the center reaching a safe temperature, using large containers that make cooling difficult, defrosting at room temperature or reusing unwashed utensils are common mistakes. Added to this is cross contamination, which occurs when raw foods come into contact with already cooked foods.
How to avoid food poisoning
To reduce risks, specialists advise refrigerating food as soon as possible, reheating it until the center reaches at least 74 °C, never defrosting at room temperature and maintaining strict hygiene of hands, surfaces and utensils. If you do not plan to freeze, it is safest to consume the preparations within the first 24 to 48 hours.
The celebrations revolve around food and gathering. Taking care of how what is left over is preserved is also part of that collective care. As Bermúdez summarizes with a simple rule: if a dish spent more time out of the refrigerator than on the table with guests, it is probably not a good idea to eat it again.
