Food Safety Issues/cooked meat left out

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Expert: Carol Schlitt - 12/2/2006


Question
I cooked a ground beef corn bread dish and left it out to cool and forgot to put it away till 5am in the morning is it okay

Answer
Hi Missy,

I assume by your question that the meat dish was at room temperature over night -- say 6 PM to 5 AM -- 11 hours. Am I close to the time frame?

We recommend that potentially hazardous foods (meat, milk, eggs, etc) not be allowed to sit at room temperature over 2 hours as these foods readily support the growth of bacteria.  Since we don't know if any harmful bacteria was in the food to know for sure, our recommendation is to not eat the food.

Sorry.....

Carol

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Volunteer

Carol Schlitt

Expertise

I can answer questions on home food safety, sanitation, home food preservation and commercial food safety (HACCP).

Experience

I am a former Extension educator, nutrition, wellness and food safety, having retired August 1, 2010. I am a certified HACCP manager, a food safety instructor for the Illinois Department of Public Health and a 3rd party food safety and OSHA auditor of restaurants.

Organizations
International Association for Food Protection, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (Certified CFCS), National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, St. Louis Culinary Society.

Education/Credentials
BS - University of Illinois MS - Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

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