Holiday Leftover Food Safety

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – For many, holiday food preparation can bring about a whole new set of food safekeeping regimens.

Zanesville Muskingum County Health Department Environmental Health Specialist Michael Cruze explained how improperly kept holiday leftovers can turn into foodborne illness timebombs. 

“So especially with leftovers, if you have a large quantity all in the same container, you know the outside will cool down but as you get deeper and deeper into the food it’s just going to act as insulation and it’s going to hold on to that heat especially in the middle of the food,” Cruze said.

On top of keeping different kinds of foods separated and stored in smaller containers for better temperature management, comes allowing your hot foods time to cool before putting them in the refrigerator because their heat can raise the inside temperature of the fridge.

“A lot of times for like household leftovers, sources like the FDA, CDC, even the Ohio Department of Health will put out you know 3 to 4 days is about how long you want to keep them. If you… if you do know that your refrigerator is holding 41 degrees or below, at least from a safety standpoint and assuming it was cooled down properly, you can keep them up to 7 days safely. But you know the age-old adage, when in doubt throw it out,” Cruze said.

As keeping temperatures below 41 inhibits the growth of bacteria, thoroughly reheating foods to their proper cooking temperature will also limit the chances of getting sick from reserving those holiday leftovers.