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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

regarding food hygiene

54 replies

fishcake84 · 16/12/2015 17:15

Two weeks ago I made a big spag bol. We ate half that night and I left the rest out to cool in a tupperware with the aim of putting it in the freezer. Got embroiled in the telly and forgot all about it. In the morning I couldn't see it on the counter and realised DH must have put it away. Good stuff.

We ate it two days ago. Now and only now does DH tell me he forgot about it being left out to cool too, and found it on the counter at 8am the next morning when he went downstairs. Then he stuck it in he freezer. So it had been out at room temperature for about 13 hours before being frozen.

We suffered no ill effects of eating it the other day and he is now crowing about how I am over anal about food hygiene and should chill out about stuff like that as nothing bad happened, where my stance is more 'we're bloody lucky not to have food poisoning'.

So who is BU? I totally think he is!

OP posts:
balletgirlmum · 16/12/2015 17:18

Well it is December so It's not like you left it out in the middle of a summers day.

I wouldn't risk it with chicken but I'd have done the same with spag Bol.

notquitehuman · 16/12/2015 17:20

I've left stuff out before. If it was the middle of summer it would have gone in the bin. However most people's kitchens are pretty cold this time of year, even if heating is on. Just ask him to be more careful in future.

Enjolrass · 16/12/2015 17:32

We have left stuff out and still eaten it.

It's not summer so the house will probably have been fairly cool.

Depends on the situation really.

Neither are bu. But since it didn't make you ill I don't see the point in making a fuss

Original poster
fishcake84 · 16/12/2015 17:36

Well, I am genuinely surprised at the responses! In a 'wow maybe I am a bit ridiculous about food hygiene if everyone else seems to think it is ok' kinda way.

I just always thought it was a no-no. You learn something new every day.

And I haven't given DH hell about it, just rather grumpily said he was lucky we weren't ill. Maybe I'll grudgingly have to accept he was not U.

OP posts:
EmmaWoodlouse · 16/12/2015 17:41

I would have eaten it in those circumstances. I might not have done if it was something you don't heat up again.

Dinobab · 16/12/2015 17:42

My parents allways do this, even with chicken curry. It freaks me out a little bit but they've never had food poisoning and neither have me or my siblings so it must be relatively safe

wasonthelist · 16/12/2015 17:42

My Grandmother didn't have a fridge for years. We ate there. I am still alive. Although it's important to be sensible, food doesn't instantly become poison the second it leaves the fridge/freezer.

IHaveBrilloHair · 16/12/2015 17:43

I do that all the time

SleepyForest · 16/12/2015 17:46

Fridges didn't exist in most homes until the sixties, and yet the human race continues. I would not be happy with day old cooked mince, but it is generally survivable.

Gottagetmoving · 16/12/2015 17:51

I wouldn't have a problem eating it. Too much stuff gets binned because people are terrified of being poisoned. My grandma used to leave a massive lan of stew on the job for days that she offered to anyone who.popped in.She had no fridge. No.one died.

Gottagetmoving · 16/12/2015 17:52

Pan...not lan !

Gottagetmoving · 16/12/2015 17:53

OMG! HOB... not job!...bloody stupid auto correct!!

VagueIdeas · 16/12/2015 17:53

I am quite fastidious about food hygiene and wouldn't have worried about that. Like people have said, your kitchen would've been cool and beef isn't NEARLY as dodgy as poultry when it comes to food poisoning.

strictlylurking · 16/12/2015 17:54

This. Just this. A member of family we have does this. Just left on the stovetop with the lid on it. All night. Happily eaten by everyone the next day, regardless of what it is.

I'm sure you're all right and that most of the time it's probably fine. But if you've ever had food poisoning before (and not the "oh my tum feels a bit off" kind), then you just don't risk it. Or at least I don't. Although I don't make a fuss about it either. In fact, I don't think I've ever vocalized that I wouldn't, I just eat other things or don't partake.

I do feel like it is a generational thing. As wasonthelist said, in the past lots of people didn't have fridges and everyone didn't die, but still. I can't do it.

bobs123 · 16/12/2015 17:57

It's more in the reheating afterwards. As long as it is thoroughly reheated there shouldn't be a problem

HackerFucker22 · 16/12/2015 18:12

I've done it a few times with spag bol (minus the freezing). I've left it to cool for the fridge I make a portion for lunch and forgotten it until the next morning. I've just bunged it in fridge when I got up. No ill effects to report.

mummymeister · 16/12/2015 18:16

the key thing is bacterial load. how much bacteria was there in it to start with - well virtually none if you cooked it properly, then it was at room temp and there would have been some limited growth (it being cooler now) then you fully and properly heated it up again.

the mistake most people make is not cooking things properly in the first place and then not reheating fully. that's when you get the problems.

Junosmum · 16/12/2015 18:22

I do it regularly. Never had an issue.

Osmiornica · 16/12/2015 18:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Gottagetmoving · 16/12/2015 18:59

Osmiornica glad my stupid auto correct made someone happy! Grin

coconutpie · 16/12/2015 19:04

Wow, am baffled by all the responses on here saying they'd eat it! YANBU, OP. You are lucky you didn't get food poisoning.

chocomochi · 16/12/2015 19:05

I leave pots of stew/curry on the stove all night and reheat the next day / next few days Blush We've never suffered any ill health because of it (yet!).

AgentProvocateur · 16/12/2015 19:09

I always leave leftovers out all night and the next day (except chicken). It's always been fine.

longdiling · 16/12/2015 19:09

If you think about fridge temp - it's recommended that you keep your fridge no higher than 8 degrees and ideally 6. Overnight in winter your kitchen would probably be around 10 - 16 degrees maybe. So it's higher than it should be but not awful. I wouldn't have fed the spag bol to my kids but I would have eaten it myself!

toffeeboffin · 16/12/2015 20:49

Hmm, I think you are a bit U.

I do what your DH did all the time and no case of food poisoning yet?