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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is this safe to eat?

35 replies

namechange977 · 07/12/2025 11:20

I cooked a bolognese last night. There was some left over which I left in the pan on the hob. I came downstairs at about 3am and stuck the pan in the fridge. Will it be safe to eat for lunch today, given it was left out for about seven hours?

OP posts:
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tobee · 08/12/2025 15:47

Oh noes! No update since 08.50!!!

bittertwisted · 08/12/2025 15:05

There must be something wrong with me, id eat it even if it hadn’t been in the fridge!
but this skanky attitude has resulted in me and my kids being very resilient, only had food poisoning once in our lives, off Serrano in Spain

Peonies12 · 08/12/2025 09:10

God people are so stupid. Why would you even think that's not OK. What do you think people did before fridges. No wonder the food waste in the UK is shocking.

Original poster
namechange977 · 08/12/2025 08:50

Update: I’m totally fine!

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Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 21:18

So far so good!

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Greatholidaybut · 07/12/2025 13:57

i would definitely eat it !

Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:57

Must admit though I am a little nervous!

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Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:55

What swayed me was the recollection I’d already eaten some of it cold at 3am and was fine this morning.

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Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:53

My kitchen is cold at night. I’ve just eaten it!

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lljkk · 07/12/2025 13:51

I imagine mould not bacteria is the problem with uncovered food, the mould spores are everywhere, but they take a long time to grow to risky levels of concentration. Leaving item out uncovered for days would foster mould.

About the staph bacteria... CDC talks about food left out at 40 deg+ temps and it's the toxin that persists after cooking (whereas cooking actually does destroy the bacteria). If the toxin was a problem originally, the food was never safe to eat even when freshly cooked. If the staph Aur bacteria got in there after cooking, still needs a long period of growing while there to build up to hazardous levels of the toxin.

So basically, in OPs situation, it's fine to eat assuming the item was ever cooked properly and her kitchen isn't very hot temps or OP actually means item sat out for a few days.

About Staph Food Poisoning

Learn about Staphylococcal food poisoning, a foodborne illness that is linked to many foods.

https://www.cdc.gov/staph-food-poisoning/about/index.html

Lostxmasfairy · 07/12/2025 13:47

FigurativelyDying · 07/12/2025 13:24

Madness. Sheer madness
my kitchen is almost as cold as my fridge at night anyway, and I’m sure yours is cool too

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Yep same kitchen is freezing at night I don't put a heater on in there.

snoopythebeagle · 07/12/2025 13:43

Each to their own- no one should judge OP for being careful and following what a commercial kitchen would have to do legally.

I'm not sure I agree - commercial set-ups are not the same as domestic kitchens and none of us should be chucking away perfectly safe, edible food just because of a random rule that exists.

Funnywonder · 07/12/2025 13:37

I would eat food in that scenario without a second thought. I would only give it to DP if he knew the circumstances and was fine with it. He probably wouldn’t be. He refused to use a bottle of ketchup after DS1 had it in his room overnight.

I wouldn’t give any left out food to my teenagers though, as I wouldn’t want to make that risk assessment on their behalf.

Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:34

Cheers all. I’ll report back tomorrow.

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Growlybear83 · 07/12/2025 13:26

namechange977 · 07/12/2025 12:28

Because bacteria might have started growing on it?

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How do you think people managed in the past without fridges? When I was a young child, all good was covered up and put in the pantry. We didn’t all get food poisoning from food that was cooked the previous day!

Evaka · 07/12/2025 13:26

I'm a level 2 hygiene trained former chef and also an expert on food waste and supply chain food redistribution.

Technically it's not classed as safe to eat if it's been out for over 2 hours but a lot depends on the temp of the room. The fact it was uncovered is better, it likely cooled to and stayed at a safe ish temp unless it was in a very warm room. If you'd covered following cooking I'd say chuck it as it might have cooled so slowly that it lingered in the danger zone a long time, enabling rapid bacterial growth.

Beef isnt a particularly risky meat and assuming it was was cooked through in the first place I'd have happily blasted and eaten it.

But all food carries some risk which lots of people aren't comfortable with. I eat all sorts of raw/room temp/past it's date food because I understand the risk pretty well and trust my senses, have a good sense of smell and taste.

Each to their own- no one should judge OP for being careful and following what a commercial kitchen would have to do legally.

Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:25

Okay, I just remembered I actually ate a big spoonful at 3am just before shoving it in the fridge. And I’m fine today! Am reheating now.

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FigurativelyDying · 07/12/2025 13:24

namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:12

On second thoughts I’m throwing it out.

Madness. Sheer madness
my kitchen is almost as cold as my fridge at night anyway, and I’m sure yours is cool too

TheAlcott · 07/12/2025 13:17

Oh well, if ChatGPT says so...

What does it say about UK levels of food waste?

BobblyBobbleHat · 07/12/2025 13:17

snoopythebeagle · 07/12/2025 13:16

ChatGPT says all sorts of bollocks.

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Yep!

snoopythebeagle · 07/12/2025 13:16

namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:15

I put it into ChatGPT and it said bolognaise left out for more than two hours is dangerous!

ChatGPT says all sorts of bollocks.

Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:15

I put it into ChatGPT and it said bolognaise left out for more than two hours is dangerous!

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snoopythebeagle · 07/12/2025 13:14

namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:12

On second thoughts I’m throwing it out.

What a waste of food.

Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 13:12

On second thoughts I’m throwing it out.

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Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 12:56

I’m going to risk it. It looks too yummy to throw away!

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