FoodBanter.com - Cooling those leftovers....

On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:40:42 -0600, Alan wrote:

>On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:21:05 GMT,
>(Curly Sue) wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 09 Jan 2007 07:38:19 -0600, Alan wrote:

>>>Whatever the rationale, the claim is wrong. According to the
>>>Food and Drug Administration, leftover food (particularly
>>>meat) should be refrigerated immediately after serving, and
>>>certainly within two hours of cooking.
>>>Food bacteria can double every 30 or 40 minutes, and several
>>>outbreaks of food poisoning have been linked to meat cooked
>>>and left to cool at room temperature for too long.
>>>
>>>Generally, the bacteria that contaminate food thrive at
>>>temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so
>>>leftovers should always be stored in a refrigerator set at
>>>40 degrees or below.
>>> When the quantity of food is large, it should be separated
>>>into small containers for quicker cooling, and reheated no
>>>more than once.
>>>THE BOTTOM LINE It’s a bad idea to let food sit at room
>>>temperature before refrigerating.
>>
>>I'm not going to put hot food in my refrigerator; a bit warm, yes.
>>Hot, no. But most (all?) of the meats and other items I cook are cool
>>enough by the time we're done eating and certainly within two hours.
>>So that's within the guidelines.
>>
>>The only items with mass large enough to be hot for a long time are
>>tomato sauce and broth-based soups. Considering that they've been
>>simmering for a while and the pathogens are dead, I don't worry about
>>4-5 hr covered cooling at room temp as necessary. When I don't have
>>room in the fridge, the pan might set in the foyer (in cold weather)
>>for rapid cooling.
>>
>>Generally I get things into the refrigerator as soon as they are
>>cooled to lukewarm. Nothing stays out overnight.
>>
>>Sue(tm)
>>Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
>
>So, despite the fact that science says doing it another way
>is safer, you will continue to do it your way because, what?
>It makes you "feel better"???????????
>
>Alan

If you re-read my post you will see that I have considered the
science.
1) Most items end up in the refrigerator within 2 hr on the outside,
and I acknowledge that this is WITHIN THE GUIDELINES.
2) Those that don't end up in the refrigerator are the ones which have
been cooked plenty long enough to kill pathogens on the food as
brought into the house.
3) When items are left out longer they are left in a cold
environment.

What I didn't state -because we were only talking about refrigeration-
is that my food handling techniques and sanitation in the kitchen
follow home food safety guidelines. There is little chance of
introducing pathogens after cooking.

My original post conveyed a clear sense of the issues involved and
attention to food safety, so there was no "ignorirng the science"
bravada. This is in contrast to your other post in this subject in
which you state:

>Never been sick from bad food (that I know of) in my life.

>I think the odds are highly over-rated, but everybody has to
>err on the side of extreme caution, these days, lest someone
>(gasp!) sue you. .

Based on observations on a single subject -yourself- you "think" the
epidemiological risk is overrated. But you follow them just in case
someone sues you. IOW,

>It makes you "feel better"???????????

If that's what it takes for you follow the guidelines, that works :)

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!