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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:
Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 12:28

snoopythebeagle · 07/12/2025 12:05

Of course it’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be?

Because bacteria might have started growing on it?

OP posts:
snoopythebeagle · 07/12/2025 12:05

Of course it’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be?

Greggsit · 07/12/2025 12:05

I'd eat it. Wouldn't even occur to me not to.

Original poster
namechange977 · 07/12/2025 12:03

I forgot to add - it wasn’t covered when left out!

OP posts:
BadgernTheGarden · 07/12/2025 11:33

InboxOverload · 07/12/2025 11:28

Saying it will be ok is incorrect. There’s a chance it might be ok but if food is left out too long (over 2 hours), some bacteria (E.g.) staphylococcus aureus, can form a heat-resistant toxin that can’t be destroyed by cooking.

You can take your chances on the say so of randoms on a chat thread, but you might get food poisoning.

Edited

Assuming there was bacteria in the red hot bolognaise, or it was somehow contaminated with bacteria after it had cooled down. If it was covered after it was cooked and no one put a dirty hand in it while it was cooling, I think it would be fine.

InboxOverload · 07/12/2025 11:28

Saying it will be ok is incorrect. There’s a chance it might be ok but if food is left out too long (over 2 hours), some bacteria (E.g.) staphylococcus aureus, can form a heat-resistant toxin that can’t be destroyed by cooking.

You can take your chances on the say so of randoms on a chat thread, but you might get food poisoning.

Username19893847477374 · 07/12/2025 11:23

It's fine

Dartmoorcheffy · 07/12/2025 11:22

Absolutely fine to eat

sesquipedalian · 07/12/2025 11:22

So long as you boil it to death and make sure it’s properly boiled all the way through, it should be fine.

Robertplantgoddess · 07/12/2025 11:21

Absolutely fine. I would eat it without a second thought.

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