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: 7/4/2008 Subject: Home made veg soup
Question After cooking homemade vegetable soup (used frozen raw onions, frozen vegies, dried mushrooms, raw bone and attached meat)for 1.5 hours, I left it out accidentally over night. I know that recooking it would kill bacteria, but are there toxins that would make it unsafe to eat?
Answer Hi Ellen,
Sounds like you've read some of my other responses to people who have left food out overnight.
It is possible for some bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus is one example) to grow to a level to produce a toxic waste product. This toxin, if present, is not destroyed by heat, thus the general recommendation to not consume foods that can easily support the growth of bacteria when at room temperature for an extended period of time.
Since we do not have a quick test to determine if harmful bacteria has produced a toxin (you can't see, smell or taste the toxin), the recommendation is to be on the safe side and not consume.
What are the chances that your soup has toxins? Fairly low -- but there is a chance and thus the recommendation to not consume.
