How to save leftovers

1. "It's a shame to throw it away." You probably hear yourself or your environment say it often enough. But can you just keep everything? Seven frequently asked questions about leftovers.

1. Which leftovers should you throw away immediately?

1. Don't save leftovers from ready-to-eat or take-out meals, because you don't know how long ago they were prepared and if they were well-preserved.

2. How long can you keep other leftovers?

1. You can keep them in a refrigerator with a temperature of 4 to 7 ° C for two to three days, in the freezer for a month. This also applies to cooked rice, spaghetti and other pasta types and to products containing dairy. Fish is extra sensitive to spoilage; do not store leftovers of sliced ​​or cooked fish in the refrigerator for more than a day.

3. Why so short?

1. From the moment raw food is prepared, more bacteria and fungi appear. Most bacteria multiply fastest at temperatures between 15 and 40 ° C. A true explosion of pathogenic bacteria can therefore take place in lukewarm food. Although that growth slows down in the refrigerator, it does not stop. In addition, some bacteria secrete substances that are poisonous. Heating the food is not always enough to eliminate these toxins.

4. How can you keep leftovers safe?

1. First of all, cool the leftovers as quickly as possible. This is faster in small portions than in one large one. Anyone who wants to preserve something large - for example a piece of meat - can put it with the scale and all in a container of cold water with ice cubes. If you were to place it warm in the refrigerator, it would heat up too much. The leftovers should be covered to prevent bacteria from spreading from other foods. No canned food can be stored in the can itself, because a reaction with air can cause metal to enter the food.

5. How can you heat up a leftover?

1. Heat a clique through and through, so that any bacteria present are killed. The temperature of the leftover must also be at least 75 ° C in the middle. In the microwave or oven, this is done as follows: heat up the dish, remove it from the microwave or oven, stir it and heat it again. Eat it right away. If there is any leftover from the leftover, there is no other option than to throw it away.

6. Do you always notice that something has gone bad?

1. No, food can still look fine and smell and taste good, but still be so bad that it makes you sick.

7. What can you get from eating rotten leftovers?

1. The most common bacteria such as salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli cause diarrhea or nausea, sometimes with fever. Usually this does not happen until more than twelve hours after eating. It may be that freshly contaminated chicken meat contains few bacteria, but that the leftovers make you sick because there are now many more bacteria on it. And even if the chicken is finished, the bacteria can still be in the kitchen and contaminate other food. You can also get sick from the toxins that bacteria like clostridium botulinum and bacillus cereus excrete into food. The result: vomiting and diarrhea, almost always within eight hours. Occasionally more serious symptoms occur. It is important to drink plenty of water.

2. The most common bacteria such as salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli cause diarrhea or nausea, sometimes with fever. This usually does not happen until more than twelve hours after eating. It may be that freshly contaminated chicken meat contains few bacteria, but that the leftovers make you sick because there are now many more bacteria on it. And even if the chicken is finished, the bacteria can still be in the kitchen and contaminate other food. You can also get sick from the toxins that bacteria like clostridium botulinum and bacillus cereus excrete into food. The result: vomiting and diarrhea, almost always within eight hours. Occasionally more serious symptoms occur. It is important to drink plenty of water.