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.
Education/Credentials BS - University of Illinois
MS - Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Question I cooked a pork roast (cut in 5" pieces) yesterday in the crock pot for six hours. It was fully cooked. The sauce was bottled BBQ sauce, soy sauce, sherry wine, a touch of vinegar, fresh garlic & brown sugar. I mistakenly left it on the counter overnight for 9 hours. It is in the refrigerator. Is is safe to eat?
Answer Hi Beth,
I wish I had better news but the recommendation is that potentially hazardous food (meat, dairy, eggs)needs to be refrigerated within 2 hours after cooking. The goal is for cooked food to cool down to refrigerator temperature within 6 hours -- in other words go from 140 to 40 degrees in a total of 6 hours. Since you say the food was out of refrigeration 9 hours, chances are the pork roast cooled from 140 to room temperature -- say 75-80 degrees. Since harmful bacteria can multiply quite rapidly at this temperature, you've increased your chances immensly that someone could get sick from the roast.
Since there is no guarantee that the pork roast is safe to eat (notice -- it could be safe, you just don't know) our recommendation is not to eat the pork.
I know that's not what you wanted to hear -- but there are no guarantees that the pork roast is safe so we must error on the safe side and recommend not consuming the roast.
Sorry....
Carol C. Schlitt
Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness
University of Illinois Extension
