Cooking For Engineers

Serenthia · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Brum, UK

I'm always told so many different things on this topic.

Bear in mind I'm a student....so don't be too horrified, but this is what I did recently:

I made a chicken/cheese sauce/spaghetti meal and ate most of it. The remainder, I put on a plate....and then forgot about for a day.

The next day, after it had been just sitting on the side, I reheated it in the microwave. I then forgot about it again.... (yes, this is common).

The next day, I remembered, reheated it a final time, and ate it.

I had no tummy-problems at all. So.... did I actually break any cardinal reheating rules there (I mean apart from the fact that it would clearly taste awful!)

McDee · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 25

OK, keep in mind that I've just started culinary school and was doing homework for my class in Safety and Sanitation just before I read your post. Also, since I've been taking this class, stuff that I would have happily eaten for the last 18 years I've been cooking for myself, I've been tossing in the trash lately...

Bacteria grows best between 5C and 57C. The US standard for discarding food is 4 hours held between these temps. Reheating after 24 hours may have killed some of the bacteria, depending on how hot you got it, but another reheat after 48 hours is just asking for trouble. That's what the book says, anyway.

DrBiggles · Joined: 12 May 2005 Posts: 356 Location: Richmond, CA

ktexp2 · Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 34

If you simply must reheat something that was left out for a questionable amount of time, you might do better to reheat in the oven. Rumor has it that a conventional oven is better at killing bacteria than the microwave. Even food that was not properly cooked the first time can be saved with an oven reheat, provided its not swimming in E.coli, salmonella, or etc.

I'm pretty bad about the reheats though. I was making a crockpot oatmeal and would turn it off after it cooked so it wouldn't burn, but go a whole day at school with it sitting out, then proceed to wrap it up and eat the rest of it the next day! Totally gross. I don't do that anymore.

Guest · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 7:52 pm Post subject:

Please don't do this again. Food safety is a matter of minimizing risks as much as possible. You are just plain lucky you didn't get sick.

According to www.foodsafety.gov
Age and physical condition place some persons at higher risk than others, no matter what type of bacteria is implicated. Very young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk from any pathogen. Some persons may become ill after ingesting only a few harmful bacteria; others may remain symptom free after ingesting thousands.

pattijomurphy · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 2

Biggles, just noticed this post. Did we have the same boss? Big smile

Edited to say, I think he's healthier than I am Disbelief

Chef Bob · Guest

Killing the bacteria is important yes! BUT as part of their life cycle they make toxins as a byproduct. these toxins are a chemical...they cannot be destroyed by heating or cooking.....MOST foodborne illnesses in the US are in fact caused by the toxins these bad (pathogenic) bacteria leave behind.

We have built up a tolerance for some toxins and bacteria and some of us have even stronger tolerances......but beware of the groups of persons who have not.....babies, pregnant women, those on certain medications and the elderly. Their immune systems tend to be weakened and what might no cause you any ill effects could actually kill them.