It has happened to many. You have cooked the food since the night before and the next day you go to the office, you forget to put it in the fridge. And when it comes time to eat you wonder if it is safe to eat it or there is a case of food poisoning, in case it is spoiled.
Really, what about food safety when it stays out of the fridge? Especially in the summer months? The truth is that bacteria such as salmonella and listeria begin to grow in food a few hours after exposure to high temperatures and can easily cause infection.
In fact, the risk of food poisoning is particularly high in people suffering from chronic diseases (diabetes, autoimmune diseases) and for the elderly over 65 years.
What you need to know
Sandwiches, salads and other meals containing sensitive ingredients should not be refrigerated for more than two hours. The same goes for the food left over after cooking. Even if the meal contains only a delicate ingredient (eg mayonnaise in the sandwich) you should definitely put it in the fridge.
If food has been exposed to temperatures above 32 degrees (eg during transport by car) it should not be refrigerated for more than one hour.
The only time you can keep food out of the fridge is when you prepared it the night before, put it in the fridge and kept it until it is consumed in an isothermal bag in which you have placed ice packs.