"wff_ng_7" > wrote in message
news:dev1g.132$gt.13@trnddc04...
> "Doug Kanter" > wrote:
>> I don't agree with leaving it on the counter for longer than it takes for
>> the hot pot to be safely placed on the next surface, but the fact is,
>> Sheldon's still alive, and who knows how long he's been doing this? Not
>> important, though. You encounter more potential pathogens in other places
>> each day than you'll EVER find in a pot of broth that's been off the
>> stove for a few hours.
>
> There is a flaw in the logic that since Sheldon is still alive, that it
> must be okay.
>
> Many things end up being dangerous only part of the time. In those cases,
> people tend to get a false sense of security that it then must be safe to
> do. Take these two activities. If you take a gun, place it in your mouth,
> and fire, there is a virtually 100% chance that you will be killed. On the
> other hand, if you go speeding 90 mph through traffic, chances are you are
> still going to survive. Because there is no immediate cause and effect
> relationship, it may not appear to be risky. But statistically, if one
> continues to drive 90 mph, one has a high probability of killing oneself.
>
> I think a lot, if not most people have a hard time understanding
> statistical chances of harm. They can't evaluate how risky something is,
> and whether the risk is worth taking. Though many things might be a 1 in a
> 1,000 chance of doing harm, we do thousands of things in our lives. Even
> at a 1 in a 1,000 chance of harm in any one activity, if you do enough of
> them, you are pretty much guaranteed to get hurt.
>
> I'm more willing to put my faith in someone well versed in the issues of
> food safety than to be trusting some random idiot posting on the internet.
> I know I am not a food safety expert, but the method I described to cool
> stock is in line with what food safety experts advocate. Sheldon's method
> flies in the face of such advice.
>
> --
> ( #wff_ng_7# at #verizon# period #net# )
>

I've had food poisoning - the whole emergency room routine. (Theory: Truck
stop chili). So, I'm obsessive about cleaning up after handling raw meats &
seafood, to the point where certain individuals in this house aren't allowed
to wash the utensils because they don't take it seriously. But, a pot of
broth that's been simmered for a number of hours? Intuitively, I just don't
believe that's a high risk 2-4 hours after the heat's been turned off. I
have no damned links to back that up - it's a hunch.

There are pathogens on your toothbrush, your hands, doorknobs, fruits &
vegetables, and money.