AboutCarol Schlitt Expertise I can answer questions on home food safety, sanitation, home food preservation and commercial food safety (HACCP).
Experience I am an Extension educator, nutrition, wellness and food safety. I am a certified HACCP manager and a food safety instructor for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Organizations International Association for Food Protection, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (Certified CFCS), National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Society for Nutrition Education.
Expert: Carol Schlitt Date: 5/10/2008 Subject: pork roast
Question Hello,
I left a pork roast in my truck overnight(9hrs.).The temp. was about 45 degrees,is it still good to fix as long as I cook it to 160 to kill any bacteria?thanks
Answer Hi Scott,
It is not recommended to leave potentially hazardous foods (meat, dairy, fish, poultry) at room temperature over 2 hours. Meat is not a sterile food and bacteria can multiply rapidly at room --or in this case trunk temperature - when the temperature is above 40 degrees F. While cooking the pork roast will kill any live bacteria, some bacteria produce a toxin that is not deactivated by heat. In other words, cooking to 160 degrees F a meat product left in the danger zone (40 to 140 degrees F) overnight does not guarantee safety.
Until we have a way of determining if meat that has been left in the danger zone for an extended period of time is safe to cook and eat, the recommendation is to pitch the roast.
