Reheating Those Leftovers

When does reheating food become dangerous?

12:15 07 January 2016

We normally end up with leftover food following a generous meal. Instead of throwing the food away, many prefer to heat it to cut down on waste and expenditure. But when does this become dangerous?

 

The biggest risk of reheating left over is food poisoning which typically leads to vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps. This is caused by bacteria, called Campylobacter, that contaminates the food. It can survive up to a couple of hours on a kitchen surface, so its easy to spread it around.

 

To avoid food contamination, do not wash your chicken before cooking it. Instead, put it straight in the oven after seasoning and wash your hands thoroughly after handling.

 

When storing leftover food, let it cool down first before placing it in the fridge. Hot food in a fridge raises temperature, turning the inside of the fridge into the perfect incubator for bugs.

 

When it comes to reheating food, the Food Standards Agency that you should only do it once. However, several times is fine as long as you do the entire process properly. Make sure that you reheat the food thoroughly.