Refrigerator temperature, maximum shelf life of food or the number of times it can be reheated… A doctor gives you her advice for eating your leftover meals safely.
- Leftover food should be refrigerated within two hours maximum.
- The temperature of the refrigerator should be between 0 and 5°C.
- Leftover food should be reheated well – at least 74°C – and not more than once.
In France, food losses and waste represent 10 million tonnes of products per year, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion. Preserving and consuming leftover meals is essential to combat this phenomenon.
Cook leftover food thoroughly
But how to do it safely, without risking thefood poisoning ? Primrose Freestone, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leicesterin England, answers this question in an article from The Conversation.
To avoid bacteria, food leftovers must be well stored and reheated! The first tip is therefore to put leftovers in the refrigerator – including the temperature should be between 0 and 5 degrees celsius – or in the freezer as quickly as possible and within a maximum of two hours. Leftovers must be covered with cling film or airtight lids.
Leftovers should be consumed within two days maximum because, after this time, certain bacteria, such as Listeria, are more likely to develop there. However, if this period seems too short to you, you can freeze your leftovers from the start. At -18°C, they can be stored for up to three months.
When cooking food, it must be reheated well, to an internal temperature of at least 74°C, which is equivalent to at least 163°C in the oven. As for liquids (sauces, stews, soups), the ideal is to bring them to a boil. Finally, you only have one opportunity to eat your leftover food because it can only be reheated once.
Put leftover food in the refrigerator within two hours
In France, you can take away food leftovers from dishes that you didn’t end up at the restaurant. This is the concept of doggy bag. For these leftovers as for those from takeaway meals, the rule is the same: put them in the fridge within two hours, consume them within two days and reheat them to 74°C.
In 2022, 1,924 collective food poisoning infections (TIAC) were declared in France, whether in a family environment, in commercial or collective catering, according to Public Health France. They affected 16,763 people, of whom 643 (4%) were hospitalized or went to the emergency room and 17 (0.1%) died.
