Archive:Quick Questions on food safety / sell by / use by dates

nesssie1702

I frequently make mince based dishes (chilli, bolognese and mince) and will leave it in the pan on the hob overnight, same with soups. Pan will have lid on it. I can only do this at this time of year, when kitchen temp isn't that high. In the summertime, the food would ferment and go off PDQ! :0

When I reheat the food, I reheat to piping hot > 82 ºC and make sure that it comes to the boil before I serve it.

If you think about it, when the food has been cooked, you will have killed off any bugs that are present, so it's important to prevent the food becoming contaminated by introducing bugs from elsewhere. So, in my mind, I'd rather leave the food in the pan that it's been cooked in.

sandraroffey

while the food is left at a temperature where it is slowly cooling, that half warm temp is great for the bugs to start growing again. thats why it should all be cooled quickly. even stuff that doesnt have meat in; soups, veggie dishes etc..

when i did the basic food handling course, i had the shock of my life when they told us what happened to the food when it is kept in that state. i didnt ever do it again.

cool it quickly by (best for a home kitchen) to put it in to several smaller containers so the portions are smaller than in the big pot, and it will cool down quicker.

the things you can do to food just by touching your ear or eye when you are cooking, you really dont want to know about!!

nesssie1702

I've got a good appreciation of what can happen to food at various stages of preparation, cooking and cooling. I work as a Food Safety Officer and have the Advanced Food Hygiene qualification as well as a degree in Food Science.

The fish pie I made last night is still sitting on the hob in the dish it was made in and will get reheated again this evening.

spinningsheep

I did a sausage casserole in the slow cooker on Friday and there is some left over, has been in the slow cooker since, and I did some home made carrot and ginger soup about a week or so ago and portioned it up in the fridge, do you think it will all be safe to eat?

TomsMom

spinningsheep wrote: »

I did a sausage casserole in the slow cooker on Friday and there is some left over, has been in the slow cooker since, and I did some home made carrot and ginger soup about a week or so ago and portioned it up in the fridge, do you think it will all be safe to eat?

Having done a food hygiene certificate, soup, gravy and rice are top of the list for food poisoning. Personally I would bin the soup if it's a week old. In future portion it and freeze it. Only takes a few minutes to thaw and reheat in the microwave. I wouldn't be too keen to try the casserole either unless it's been in the fridge. If it's been at room temperature since Friday I expect it will be a bit iffy.

nesssie1702

I agree with TomsMum - soup should be kept for about 3 days, and your sausage casserole might have been okay on the Saturday, but it's been at room temp for over 72 hours now, so it's likely to be hoaching with bugs as well as turning off.

madhouse

Does anyone know how long home made rice pudding will keep for in the fridge. It is made with pudding rice, skimmed milk, water and a small amount of sugar.

Thank you

nesssie1702

How long has it been in the fridge?

Rice will begin to ferment as it ages, so you'll be able to taste the sourness developing.

It would probably still be fit to eat overnight, but after 48 hours it's likely to have started fermenting.

madhouse

It was made yesterday, but I wondered if it could keep until tomorrow?

nesssie1702

Should be alright, will ultimately depend on how cold your fridge is running at. The best thing you can do is taste some - it won't poison you. You'll be able to tell if it's fermented beyond eating by the taste.....:eek: