# Too Old?



## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

Yes, it's another thread from me about eating things you shouldn't. But I've gotta ask. When is food too old to eat? Because there's a lovely plate full of grilled chicken and spanish rice that's been sitting in my fridge for four days now. I'm reluctant to throw it out but am unsure if it's okay to eat it. Advice?


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## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

Pitch it! Immediately!


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Add a little milk and egg.......It's cat-food !!


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## JaymeMorse (Jun 7, 2011)

When in doubt...throw it out.


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## Randirogue (Apr 25, 2011)

JaymeMorse said:


> When in doubt...throw it out.


Hehe... that got me into a minor phobia several years back. I managed to convince myself that everything that I hadn't just made or just ordered was bad by the next day (or even a few hours).

I'm a lot more lenient now and have yet to have gotten sick (that I know of) from left overs. Now, I just have this pesky "eat it every meal other than breakfast until it's gone and before I eat anything else." If I eat or prepare a different meal between dipping into those left overs, the left overs suddenly seem really old. As if by having something different in between sucked the left overs into a parallel universe that aged them more rapidly.



I'm still working on this issue, as you can see.

~_~ooo


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## Val2 (Mar 9, 2011)

As long as you re heat it thoroughly it will be fine. Enjoy!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Val2 said:


> As long as you re heat it thoroughly it will be fine. Enjoy!


^ this.

If it smells okay, and you cook it thoroughly so that any bacteria that has gotten a foothold is killed, there's no reason it should make you sick (that I know of, not being a medical professional, mind you).


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

Four days for chicken?  I definitely wouldn't risk it.  But it's your stomach


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## SylvieB1984 (May 16, 2011)

I normally go with smell and how it looks. Like others have said, if it is thouroughly cooked, you should be good.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

if its not furry ....


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

Forget the chicken, it's the rice that has a ton of bacteria after that time hehehe. I'd throw it out. However, if it smells fine, just cook it. Worst case scenario, diarrhoea, and you lose a few pounds - WIN!

I rarely go by sell/use by dates. I'm old enough to remember when they didn't exist.


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

Four days is my limit for stuff like that.  So I would've heated it thoroughly and eaten it.  Anything beyond the four-day mark gets trashed.


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## bobavey (Sep 14, 2010)

I'd throw it out and fix something new.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Four days doesn't seem that long to me.

I'd eat it.


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## TraceyC/FL (Mar 23, 2011)

When i was hanging out at lowcarbfriends.com I seem to recall hearing 7 days for cooked protien a lot. Like, never cook more than 7 days worth of hardboiled eggs.

My mom eats food long after I would.... I'm normally a 2-3 day max kinda girl.

Depending on how you had it wrapped I'd probably still eat it today. Maybe. It would just depend.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

4 days? I start to worry after 7-8 days! But if you're worried, I'd just toss it. It's not fun to eat things while worrying if it's going to make you sick.


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

If it was cooked well enough the first time around, I think it would be fine to just reheat and eat. It's when meat is uncooked and hanging around that it's dangerous.

Joyce


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## valleycat1 (Mar 15, 2011)

I'm with the others that 4 days isn't all that old.  We routinelye roast a whole chicken and then eat the leftovers for at least 4 days (there are only 2 of us).  I've heard the concerns about rice, but we don't usually make more than 2-3 days' worth - & my DH eats leftover rice cold & has never had a bad outcome.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I think four days might be pushing it, unless it was actually frozen.  The last thing you need is a trip to the ER with food poisoning.


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## CaedemMarquez (Mar 23, 2011)

Four days? Is that it? Talk to me in two weeks. As a matter of fact, send it over here and I'll tell you if it is good!  

Caedem


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

I'll keep things around for a week.  If it smells questionable, looks funny or I have to think about it too much, it goes in the trash.  We keep our fridge much colder than normal and don't have any kids to stand with the door open so we've never had any problems.  

If in doubt toss it out.


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## *Sandy Harper* (Jun 22, 2011)

storage time varies from food to food. Smell and taste is a good indicator. If it smells and tastes bad, definitely throw it away.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

Consider the cost of a trip to the emergency room.
When in doubt, throw it away immediately. Don't even taste it


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

This chart says 3-4 days:

http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html

They're probably leaning on the conservative side.


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## leslieray (Mar 16, 2010)

Hopefully you have heated it up and eaten it by now! 

I'm sure it's safe, and it would be a waste to throw it out after only four days, especially if it was properly refrigerated after it was cooked originally.


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## Stephen_Melling (Jun 26, 2011)

ilyria_moon said:


> Forget the chicken, it's the rice that has a ton of bacteria after that time hehehe. I'd throw it out. However, if it smells fine, just cook it. Worst case scenario, diarrhoea, and you lose a few pounds - WIN!
> 
> I rarely go by sell/use by dates. I'm old enough to remember when they didn't exist.


I like your philosophy.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

Note to self: do not eat at most of these peoples' houses...


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

Tippy said:


> Pitch it! Immediately!


I'm afraid it's too late. The good news: nothing bad came of it. At least, it hasn't yet. More updates as events develop.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

If you notice any kind of smell or change in taste, just throw it away.  Heat is not going to sterilize. It takes high heat and pressure to kill microorganisms such as bacteria.


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## Holly A Hook (Sep 19, 2010)

The inside of my fridge is too terrifying to describe, so I don't eat most of what's in there.


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## 40977 (Mar 31, 2011)

I tend to go by smell, consistency, and how broke I'm feeling at that particular moment!


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

JaymeMorse said:


> When in doubt...throw it out.


Hey! My favorite quote about food. The official food service rule is 72 hours. If it is frozen raw and then cooked, it can be refrozen, but can only be reheated one time to proper temps. Don't stick it in the refrigerator and reheat it if you have already re-heated it once. If it has cream sauce (dairy-based gravy for instance), it is not a good idea to keep it and reheat it. Chicken and turkey is especially dangerous. Never leave it sitting out at room temperature and then eat it. Salmonella is awful and it's not the only thing out there, especially in the summertime.
As far as cold cuts and such, the date is on the package. If you keep these items cold (below 40 degrees), you can eat them up until the Use By date unless you notice something unusual. Cheese rarely ever spoils and even it if molds, you can normally remove the mold and eat the rest. Food borne illnesses are killers and the rules are sometimes complicated. So, just go back to the above quote and you won't go wrong.
Sorry about the lecture. I was in food service for a long, long time and saw people do atrocious things with food.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

Thanks for the info, Brendan. In the end I ate it and nothing happened but I'll keep all of that in mind for next time. And when it comes to me and food, there's always a next time.


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## Brem (Jun 29, 2011)

I'm not a huge fan of eating leftovers after it's been in the fridge more than 2 days. haha! But yeah, I'd say toss it.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Thumper said:


> Note to self: do not eat at most of these peoples' houses...


Well said !....giggle !


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## *Sandy Harper* (Jun 22, 2011)

Thumper said:


> Note to self: do not eat at most of these peoples' houses...


Good advice to follow...LOL


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## JaymeMorse (Jun 7, 2011)

Brendan Carroll said:


> Don't stick it in the refrigerator and reheat it if you have already re-heated it once.


Oh, wow. I didn't know that rule! Thanks for the tips.



Thumper said:


> Note to self: do not eat at most of these peoples' houses...


LOL!


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