Food left out overnight - fit to eat?

eeteemee6

Last night I roasted some chicken drumsticks with lots of vegetables. I ate half, and put the remainder in a foil dish on the draining board to cool. I forgot all about it until 7 oclock this morning, when I put it in the freezer. However, it's been left for 12 hours in the kitchen, and I live in London so it doesn't get really cold. Also, the chicken was previously frozen. I'm beginning to think maybe I should bin it. What do others think?

mrs_mix

Me personally I would bin it especially as it's chicken
pam

patchwork_cat

I was going to say bin it as when I do this I always do, but wondered how warm was your kitchen last night, really? Even in London it may well have only been 7 or so or do you have central heating? If yes, bin it, if not um well I wouldn't freeze it, but perhaps you could have it for lunch after really heating it through thorougly.

redruby

I too would bin it, its just not worth getting food poisioning this close to christmas xx

eeteemee6

I do have central heating, and you've convinced me, much as I hate wasting food, that it should go in the bin. thanks for your advice

Vampgirl

The correct advice would probably be to bin it, but personally I'd eat it :eek: I've often forgotten to refridgerate meat and ended up leaving it out overnight in the kitchen, and its been fine the next day (no upset stomachs or ill effects of any kind). Our kitchen isn't warm overnight though - we've got central heating but it goes off at 9pm and with 3 largish windows the temperature does drop a bit. Also we have a pretty good immunity to things like this as I subscribe to the theory that a little bacteria is a good thing for the immune system to build up resistance.

WeirdoMagnet

Personally, I'd eat it. I've left food out before and eaten it and no harm has come.

~Chameleon~

I'm another one who would have eaten it too

I probably would bin it in the middle of summer, what with the heat and flies etc, but food should be ok left out overnight in winter - unless your houses resembles the tropics with the heating on

skintchick

I'd have eaten it too.

freyasmum

Yep, another vote for eating. That is probably not the advice you would get from a health and hygiene advisor, but I would've eaten it. I have done this regularly before and have always been fine. Unless, as others have said, you're kitchen is really warm.

Lx

jacksons_mum

as long as you reheat it to 75 degrees (piping hot) before you eat it, it will be ok. the heat will kill any food poisoning bacteria