Expert: Carol Schlitt - 10/30/2009

Question
I made chili at about six thirty last night and left it to sort of cool before putting it in the fridge. It stayed in the pot with the lid on and I forgot it and jumped up at one am realizing I had not put it in the fridge.  I put it in then, but have been worrying about it being ok to eat.  I used a pound of ground beef and lots of tomatoes, sauce and vegetables.

Answer
Hi Diane,

Your chili was off the heat source from 6:30 pm to 1 am -- 6 and 1/2 hours.  The general recommendations for all foods capable of supporting the growth of bacteria is to not reheat or consume foods that have been out of the safe temperature range (either below 40 degrees F - refrigerator temperatures, or above 135 degrees F -- the minimum temperature for keeping hot foods hot) for more than 2 hours.  For restaurants, the FDA food code states that if time is the controlling factor for safety, a food that is initially held at 135 degrees F or higher is taken off the heat source it can be served up to 4 hour and then must be destroyed.

Either way, your chili is beyond both the consumer and professional guidelines for safety and should be pitched.

Sorry...

Carol