Frequently asked questions about cross-contamination:

• What is your call on the safest type of cutting board?

• I left some chicken thawing in a bowl in my fridge, uncovered for a couple of hours. Could it contaminate the other food? There was no spillage.

• Can you grill raw chicken and raw meats together on a BBQ? If so, why? Thanks, Linda
• Hi!  How long can i keep my made fresh vegetable soup in the refrigerator?  Thank you!
• I froze fresh shrimps purchased at the fish market.  After thawing them, can I eat them without cooking or should I cook them before eating them without risks?
• How long can I keep a chicken in the freezer?
• Hello, I made homemade vegetable soup and left it out on the stovetop over night. Is it still safe to eat?
• I have thawed boneless chicken breasts in the refrigerator on Tuesday.  Today we are Thursday.  Are they still good?
• Are the whelks offered for sale at the fish market already cooked or do we have to cook them ourselves?  Should we eat them the same day they have been purchased.  I left them in the refrigerator three days.  It smelled like death!
• How long can I store homemade chicken soup in the refrigerator?
• I forgot a meal that contained cooked chicken all night on the counter.  Should I throw it out?
• How long can we keep pink shrimp in the refrigerator?
• How long can I keep homemade vegetable soup in the refrigerator?
• Is it safe to wrap cheese and raw hamburger in a plastic wrap together? And is it ok to wrap them in a paper bag with bread, fruits and vegetables?
• how long do you cook live whelks for?
• I made beef and barley soup last night and left it on the counter top overnight. Can I eat the soup.
• How long can we keep in the freezer small jars of homemade vegetables for babies?  Thank you!
• I went to the grocery store and bought a sirloin steak. I forgot to put it into the fridge until 3 hours later. It hadn't been opened, was still sealed, and was in a cool room. Is it safe to cook and eat it? Or must I throw it out???
• can raw chicken and raw beef touch each other prior to cooking? Can you use the same tong on raw beef and raw chicken?
• I bought fresh chicken breasts on Thursday and today is Monday, are they still good to cook and eat?
• is it okay to bake raw hamburger with vegetables in the same dish????
• Hi!  I just purchased a horizontal freezer and I would like to know what would be the ideal freezing temperature?  It is at minus 10 right now.  Thank you!
• I made tortelini soup on Wed and this is Monday. Is it still good to eat?
• How long can you keep homemade pea soup in the refrig before freezing?
• How long can i keep Tilapia in the fridge for after being thawed?
• Hi!  I thawed some beef hash on Thursday night.  We are Saturday afternoon.  Knowing that the hash went from the freezer to the refrigerator, can it still be good to eat?  Thank you!
• How long will uncooked fresh vegetables last in the refrigerator retaining the vitamin/antioxidant value?
• I made homemade veg. beef soup 3 days ago, and now want to freeze it. Is it safe? How long will it last in freezer?
• Can we freeze vegetable soup?
• i've boiled turkey bones into a turkey soup which was left on the stovetop overnight. i reboiled it for a long time the next day. wouldn't reboiling it kill bacteria?
• How long can you keep beef sirloin in the fridge after the packaged date
• How long can cooked pasta in marinara sauce be kept in the refrigerator? Thanks!
• To wrap up a chicken in plastic for the freezer, what way should the plastic be covered (from the exterior).  Where could it come from?  How can we call that phenomenon?  Thank you!
• How long can I keep chicken soup in the freezer. Thanks
• Can you freeze beef barley soup?
• I bought a whole cutup chicken it's best buy date is 12/9/2007.It was kept frozen after coming home. Today is 12/10/2007.Can I cook it?
• I pull my tourtieres (veal, pork, beef and millet) out of the oven and I let them cool down for 4 hours before freezing them.  Is there a risk of contamination?
• Can we cover a turkey to cook it in the oven or is it recommended to cook it uncovered?
• Can I heat thawed (overnight in the fridge) cooked chicken pieces in the microwave? And once heated through if not eaten, can I leave uneaten bits in the fridge for the day?
• I cooked a turkey fully. How long can it stay in the fridge and be eaten for? I cooked it saturday evening and refridgerated it about an hour later and today is Monday evening.
• we received a fresh turkey on 21st dec kept it in the fridge now cooking christmas day is it safe to eat after 3 days in fridge
• I bought frozen shrimp a week ago, I thawed it in the fridge about 5 days ago and promptly forgot about it. It is still sealed and has not left the fridge is it safe to eat
• How long will frozen shrimp be safe to eat?
• I left a frozen veal roast out all night, (7 hours) It was a solid rock when it started, but was mostly thawed in the morning. Is it safe to cook?
• If we cooked a turkey on the 25th of December, and it was refrigerated, can we still cut it up for soups and freezing now that it's the 2nd of January?
• Once cooked meat is frozen and then defrosted can the leftovers be re-frozen?
• I bought meat from the store and they handled the raw beef and chicken with the same gloves on. I froze the meat. It is still safe to cook and eat?
• Can a dried soup mix in an envelope be consumed after its best before date? 
• I cooked a roast beef on Monday.  We are Saturday now and the roast stayed in the refrigerator all that time.  Can I freeze it?  Thank you!  Have a nice day!
• When I prepare vegetable soup should I let it cool down before putting it in the freezer?  The problem is that it is taking so much time to cool down and I am concern about bacteria.  Thank you!
• How long can fresh uncooked hamburger be kept safely in the refirgerator
• I took out a beef roast and sirloin steaks from the freezer and left them on the counter overnight (unintentionally) - are they still good? Our home temp was between 60 and 70 degrees all night.
• I froze a roast beef as soon as I came back from the supermarket.  I pull it out few days later to thaw it and cook it.  Once cooked, can I freeze it again  in portions for lunches?
• I bought cube steaks on wednesday night, forgot and left in refrig. is it still safe to eat
• Why can't we refreeze meat once it has been thawed?
• i mixed raw hamburger with stuffing mix and didn't cook it i refrigerated over night can i still cook it now
• I prepared a shank-end leg in the oven Friday night and I left it until Monday morning.  What are the risks?
• How long can I keep cooked chicken wings in the refrigerator
• I cooked some pot barley and left it on the kitchen counter over night from 11pm to 6am when I noticed it. My house temp over night is about 18 celsius. Is it safe to eat??
• I bought frozen shrimp tails Sunday, put them in refrigerator and they thawed. Can I cook them Wednesday evening?
• I took out fast fry meat on Wed morning, and the meat has been in the fridge since then. Can I refreeze the meat?
• I finished cooking my turkey at 8am & pull it out of the oven, left it out on the counter to cool until 3:30pm. Is it OK to eat?
• When frozen hamburger is thawed out and not all of it is used, can you re-freeze the hamburger ?
• I forgot to refrigerate chicken that I bought (2100 yesterday evening).  It, it is 13:00 the following day. Do I have absolutely have to throw it away?
• Hi!  I pulled out of the freezer a 675 g roast beef.  We eat approximately 250 grams of meat per day (good for our diet).  If I thaw it in the microwave and I cook it medium rare, can I put the left-over in the refrigerator for approximately 46 hours?  Thank you!
• Hi!  I gave my daughter some food that I prepared and froze.  She let some thawed and refroze them again because she did not eat them.  Is it dangerous?  Since that time, she did not do it again.
• My question is regarding Tilapia. I bought a couple packs that were vaccuum sealed and frozen. I bought them at 8pm and left them out to thaw. I had forgotten them overnight and this morning cooked them at 9am. I tried a small sample and i can't tell.... it didn't smell funny when i took them out of the pack and rinsed them. But i am nervous. Why take the chance? Would the fish be alright to eat?
• I took out a roast beef on friday to thaw and put it directly into the refridgerator. It is now tuesday. Is it safe to cook?
• I want to cook chicken and vegetable stew. The last time I cooked it, I put the raw chicken, onions, celery, and carrots in a pot. Cooked them for 1 hours, then boned the chicken, added meat back to a still hot pot of veggies and broth. Added potatoes, cooked it all for another 30 minutes and we ate it. We got sallmonella poisoning and I am wondering what I did wrong, or if I can learn to make it again without having this happen. I made my entire family so sick the last time and I have terrible guilt from it so I want to understand how it happened and how to ensure that it does not happen again. Thank you.
• i left a fully cooked sirloin beef roast in white sauce last night and did not refigerate it untill the next day . We ate dinner about 7:30 p. m. and put it back into the refrigerator around 9 a.m. the next morning. Is it safe to eat .
• I froze home made stuffing with sausage that was NOT cooked in the bird, after christmas. Is it safe to eat after 2 months frozen?
• I work in a restaurant and we are having a debate on food safety. The debate is whether to wash our hands after handling frozen meats and chicken. I say no because the are frozen solid. I say we must wash our hands when the meats are partially cooked or raw meats. Can you please help us.
• I cooked some onions and squash in the oven and forgot about it overnight in the frig.  Can I still eat it?
• Is it OK to refrigerate raw ground beef that has been mixed with fresh garlic and spices in the refrigerator overnight and cook them the next day?
• Freezer turned off by mistake for 12 hrs. i had a turkey in there. when i turned freezer back on it re froze. is it safe to eat.
• I have purchased some stuffing at the end of December and I put it in the freezer immediately.  I noticed today while I pulled it out of the freezer that the container bloated.  Does the stuffing still good to eat?  Thank you!
• Hi, I have just taken a frozen silverside of beef from the freezer and wandered if it is safe to cook it straight away? My mum says she cooks hers from frozen in the pressure cooker and its ok, but thought i would check as don't want to give the family food poisoning. Thanks
• Is it safe to mixed ground beef and fresh onions together, stored overnight and then shape and bake the next day? A friend told me that the fresh onions does something bad to meat to make it not edible.
• Hi!  Can we freeze a fresh roast beef?  Thank you!
• I have 2 questions. 1) can I freeze raw beef and cook it at a later date and use it to cook a meal to freeze. 2) how long does ground chicken last in the freezer. 
• Hi, I want to throw my boyfriend a party and I am going to need to buy the food, meats and fruits included in Fremont the day before we drive to Vallejo. I don't want to freeze the meat because it takes a long time to unfreeze. Is it ok if I buy the meat and food on Thursday, refrigerate that night through Friday and take out for an hour and a half to make the drive to Vallejo and place back in the fridge and or marinate overnight?
• I bought unfrozen uncooked meats and left it out at room temperature for 9 hours, it was barely cool, I threw it out, my husband was upset and said he could have cooked it on the grill. Did I do the right thing?
• I refroze uncooked shrimp is it safe to eat if I cook it now Thank you
• Hi I was wondering how long I could keep fresh chicken in the fridge it goes bad? I had chicken in the fridge for about 5 days then freezed it and now debating if its still safe to eat.
• I left (4) COWBOW type steaks out overnight, they are shrinkwrapped. Are they ruined? They were room temperature in the morning.
• Hi!  I ourchased some grounded meat at the butcher shop two days ago.  Can I consumed it cooked and freeze the rest knowing it is raw.
• How long can we keep white fresh sausages in the refrigerator before freezing them?
• How long can a barbequed tri tip be at room temperature and still be safe to eat?
• I pulled out of the freezer some chicken breast schnitzels last night and forgot to thaw them in the refrigerator.  Shouls I throw them out?
• Hi, On Saturday I took out top sirloin steaks from the freezer to thaw in the fridge. We didn't cook all of the steak but put it in another ziplock bag...handling it with clean bare hands. It is now Thursday...are the steaks ok to cook?
• Can we eat without worries thawed rae beef or is it better to eat it raw but fresh?

 

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What is your call on the safest type of cutting board?

I have both, and that is a good idea. Cutting boards can be made of food-grade wood, hard plastic, glass, or marble. The important point is that cutting boards be washed with warm soapy water, rinsed and dried after every use. They can also be sanitized when needed with a mixture of 1 tsp (5 mL) bleach with 3 cups (750 mL) water. Once badly scratched, a wooden board can be sanded to remove the grooves and a plastic board should be replaced.

I left some chicken thawing in a bowl in my fridge, uncovered for a couple of hours. Could it contaminate the other food? There was no spillage.

The remaining food should be okay as long the chicken or any juices did not come in contact with the other food. However, it is best to keep the chicken covered so the outer surface does not dry out.

Can you grill raw chicken and raw meats together on a BBQ? If so, why? Thanks, Linda

As long as the chicken and the other meats are cooked to the proper internal temperature for each kind of meat, you can cook them at the same time on a barbeque. Check out the chart on my web site that provides the recommended internal cooking temperatures. Cooking to the right temperatures not only ensures good tasting meat but it will kill any bacteria present which has the potential to cause foodbourne illness.

Hi!  How long can i keep my made fresh vegetable soup in the refrigerator?  Thank you!

Your vegetable soup will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.  If you want to keep it longer, freeze it.  That way, it will keep for 4 months.

I froze fresh shrimps purchased at the fish market.  After thawing them, can I eat them without cooking or should I cook them before eating them without risks?

Eating raw shellfish like shrimp is not recommended. They should be cooked before eating.

How long can I keep a chicken in the freezer?

A whole chicken may be stored in the freezer for one year. Chicken pieces may be stored in the freezer for six months.

Hello, I made homemade vegetable soup and left it out on the stovetop over night. Is it still safe to eat?

If homemade vegetable soup has been left on the stovetop longer than one hour (two hours) in the winter, it should be discarded because there is a risk that harmful bacteria may have developed. 

I have thawed boneless chicken breasts in the refrigerator on Tuesday.  Today we are Thursday.  Are they still good?

Yes, once thawed in the refrigerator, your chicken breasts would still be good to cook and eat two days later.  Pieces of chicken are good two to three days after being thawed in the refrigerator

Are the whelks offered for sale at the fish market already cooked or do we have to cook them ourselves?  Should we eat them the same day they have been purchased.  I left them in the refrigerator three days.  It smelled like death!

Welks may be raw or cooked. If raw. they should be cooked within 24 hours. If cooked, they can be refrigerated three days.

How long can I store homemade chicken soup in the refrigerator?

Homemade chicken soup can be refrigerated two to three days.

I forgot a meal that contained cooked chicken all night on the counter.  Should I throw it out?

The answer is yes.  It has been exposed to room temperature way to long to take any chances of consuming it and being sick after.  It should have been refrigerated within the hour (two hours in winter) following its preparation.

How long can we keep pink shrimp in the refrigerator?

Raw pink shrimps will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.  Once cooked, they will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

How long can I keep homemade vegetable soup in the refrigerator?

Homemade vegetable soup should be eaten within 3-4 days.

Is it safe to wrap cheese and raw hamburger in a plastic wrap together? And is it ok to wrap them in a paper bag with bread, fruits and vegetables?

It is risky to wrap cheese and raw meat together because drippings from the hamburger may cross contaminate the cheese with harmful bacteria. It is equally risky to wrap raw hamburger in a paper bag with bread, fruits and vegetables which may be eaten raw.

how long do you cook live whelks for?

The time it takes to cook the whelks depends on the size of the whelk.  They can either be boiled or steamed in their shell for 5 - 6  minutes or until the meat is easily pulled from the shell with a toothpick. 

I made beef and barley soup last night and left it on the counter top overnight. Can I eat the soup.

Do not eat your soup. Once left on the counter at room temperature for longer than two hours, it may be contaminated with harmful bacteria that will multiply and cause foodborne illness.

How long can we keep in the freezer small jars of homemade vegetables for babies?  Thank you!

Provided you have followed good food safety practices, for optimal quality and freshness, you should use the food within 1 - 3 months.

I went to the grocery store and bought a sirloin steak. I forgot to put it into the fridge until 3 hours later. It hadn't been opened, was still sealed, and was in a cool room. Is it safe to cook and eat it? Or must I throw it out???

Uncooked meats are highly perishable and should be refrigerated within 2 hours (or 1 hour during the summer) of purchasing.  Bacteria that is present on the surface of uncooked meat grows very well in the temperature range of 4ºC - 60ºC.  You should throw away this meat.

can raw chicken and raw beef touch each other prior to cooking? Can you use the same tong on raw beef and raw chicken?

The only concern would be if you or someone you are cooking for is allergic to one but not the other.  If you are using the tongs to transfer the raw meats to the barbecue or oven, it is fine to use the same tongs.  But when cooking these meats, it would be better to use separate utensils as one meat may cook faster than the other.  Wash the tongs with soap and hot water before you remove the cooked meats from their heat source so you don't contaminate the cooked product with raw juices left on the tongs. 

I bought fresh chicken breasts on Thursday and today is Monday, are they still good to cook and eat?

Unfortunately, no.  Chicken and turkey parts should be cooked within 2 days of purchase.  If this is not possible, the parts can safely be frozen for up to 6 months.

is it okay to bake raw hamburger with vegetables in the same dish????

Yes, it is safe to bake raw ground beef and vegetables in the same dish. Just be sure the food is cooked to a safe temperature by checking with a food thermometer inserted in the centre. It should read 71C (160F).

Hi!  I just purchased a horizontal freezer and I would like to know what would be the ideal freezing temperature?  It is at minus 10 right now.  Thank you!

The temperature of a freezer should be set at minus 18 degrees C (0 degre F).  It is the recommended temperature to make sure that the food will be frozen  solid.  Monitor the temperature on a regular basis to make sure that it is stable at minus 18 degrees C (0 degree F).

I made tortelini soup on Wed and this is Monday. Is it still good to eat?

Leftover homemade soup should be refrigerated and eaten or frozen within three days. 

How long can you keep homemade pea soup in the refrig before freezing?

The soup may be kept in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 days at
4 ºC or less, before being frozen. 

How long can i keep Tilapia in the fridge for after being thawed?

Lean fish, such as Tilapia, that has been thawed in the refrigerator, should be cooked within 2 days of thawing.

Hi!  I thawed some beef hash on Thursday night.  We are Saturday afternoon.  Knowing that the hash went from the freezer to the refrigerator, can it still be good to eat?  Thank you!

Yes, it is safe to eat (2 -3 days in the refrigerator).  Heat thoroughly to a temperature of 74º C (165º F).

How long will uncooked fresh vegetables last in the refrigerator retaining the vitamin/antioxidant value?

The shelf life of raw vegetables will vary depending on the type of vegetable and how long ago it was harvested. For maximum nutritional value, buy only the amount you can use before the vegetable passes the peak of ripeness.  

I made homemade veg. beef soup 3 days ago, and now want to freeze it. Is it safe? How long will it last in freezer?

Homemade beef soup may be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 days.  If you are going to freeze the remainder of the soup, you would need to eat the soup within a day of thawing as most of the recommended shelf life of 3 - 4 days would have been used.  Freezing does not destroy bacteria that may be present in foods.  The soup may be frozen up to 3 months.

Can we freeze vegetable soup?

Yes, vegetable soup can be safely frozen. Before freezing divide into single use amounts.  This way, you will be alble to thaw in the refrigerator, portions that you need.

i've boiled turkey bones into a turkey soup which was left on the stovetop overnight. i reboiled it for a long time the next day. wouldn't reboiling it kill bacteria?

Reboiling soup which was left at room temperature overnight may not make it safe because some bacteria produce heat resistant toxins which may not be destroyed by reboiling.  Those toxins can make you sick.

How long can you keep beef sirloin in the fridge after the packaged date

Beef sirloin can be refrigerated 2 to 4 days after the packaged date or until the Best Before Date on the package. 

How long can cooked pasta in marinara sauce be kept in the refrigerator? Thanks!

Cooked pasta in marinara sauce can be refrigerated 3 to 4 days.

To wrap up a chicken in plastic for the freezer, what way should the plastic be covered (from the exterior).  Where could it come from?  How can we call that phenomenon?  Thank you!

Poultry should be eviscerated, cleaned and cooled before packaging.  Remove organs and membranes and clean the inside cavity.  Remove feathers, wash the pieces, drain and pat dry.  Use two layers of packaging material if there are sharp bones protruding from the chicken.  Wrap the bird in freezer plastic film, press out all air and overwrap with freezer paper or foil and seal tightly.  Make the body as compact as possible.  Store for up to 1 year.  Do not stuff the bird prior to freezing as this may affect thawing. 

How long can I keep chicken soup in the freezer. Thanks

Store soups in air tight containers in the freezer for 2 - 3 months for optimum freshness.

Can you freeze beef barley soup?

Yes, beef barley soup can be safely frozen. Divide into single use amounts so there will not be leftovers to refreeze.

I bought a whole cutup chicken it's best buy date is 12/9/2007.It was kept frozen after coming home. Today is 12/10/2007.Can I cook it?

If the chicken has been put in the freezer before its "Best Before Date", it will be safe to cook and eat as long as it is thawed in the refrigerator.  Once the food product is frozen before its "Best Before Date", that date doesn't hold anymore as long as the product remains frozen.  Once thawed, it should be cooked with 2 to 3 days.

I pull my tourtieres (veal, pork, beef and millet) out of the oven and I let them cool down for 4 hours before freezing them.  Is there a risk of contamination?

Yes, there is a risk of contamination with harmful bacteria. They should be cooled slightly, then refrigerated. If left warm at room temperature longer than two hours, they should be discarded. 

Can we cover a turkey to cook it in the oven or is it recommended to cook it uncovered?

This is not a food safety issue, but one of quality. A turkey can be cooked without or with a cover, removing the cover the last hour to allow the turkey to brown further.

Can I heat thawed (overnight in the fridge) cooked chicken pieces in the microwave? And once heated through if not eaten, can I leave uneaten bits in the fridge for the day?

This answer of both questions is yes.  You surely can heat up thawed in the refrigerator cooked chicken pieces and refrigerate any leftover.  It should keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

I cooked a turkey fully. How long can it stay in the fridge and be eaten for? I cooked it saturday evening and refridgerated it about an hour later and today is Monday evening.

Leftover cooked turkey may be stored in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 days.

we received a fresh turkey on 21st dec kept it in the fridge now cooking christmas day is it safe to eat after 3 days in fridge

As fresh turkeys are highly perishable, they may be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days.

I bought frozen shrimp a week ago, I thawed it in the fridge about 5 days ago and promptly forgot about it. It is still sealed and has not left the fridge is it safe to eat

Once defrosted raw or cooked shrimp should  be used within 1 to 2 days.

How long will frozen shrimp be safe to eat?

Raw or cooked shrimp can be stored in the freezer for two months.   Once thawed, theyshould be cooked and consumed in the next two days.

I left a frozen veal roast out all night, (7 hours) It was a solid rock when it started, but was mostly thawed in the morning. Is it safe to cook?

Your roast may not be safe to cook because it has been thawed at room temperature. There are two safe ways to thaw a veal roast; in the refrigerator on a tray to prevent juices dripping onto other foods and submerged, still sealed in the package, in a sink of cold water. The water should be replaced with more cold water every 45 minutes.  

If we cooked a turkey on the 25th of December, and it was refrigerated, can we still cut it up for soups and freezing now that it's the 2nd of January?

Leftover cooked turkey should be eaten or frozen within 3 to 4 days.

Once cooked meat is frozen and then defrosted can the leftovers be re-frozen?

Package cooked meat for the freezer in single use containers. That way bacteria that may be in the food will not have the added time of repeated thawing, reheating, cooling and freezing to grow.There will also be less loss of quality.

I bought meat from the store and they handled the raw beef and chicken with the same gloves on. I froze the meat. It is still safe to cook and eat?

Yes, there could have been some cross contamination between the raw beef and chicken. But the meat and poultry will be safe to eat, if it is cooked to a safe internal temperature. These temperatures are listed in a chart on my web site.

Can a dried soup mix in an envelope be consumed after its best before date? 

We do not recommend dried soup mix be consumed after its Best Before Date because there will be loss of quality including changes in flavour.

I cooked a roast beef on Monday.  We are Saturday now and the roast stayed in the refrigerator all that time.  Can I freeze it?  Thank you!  Have a nice day!

Cooked roast beef may be safely stored in the refrigerator up to 4 days. As the leftover beef has been in the refrigerator longer than the recommended storage time, freezing would not be advisable.  

When I prepare vegetable soup should I let it cool down before putting it in the freezer?  The problem is that it is taking so much time to cool down and I am concern about bacteria.  Thank you!

The quickest way to cool foods are to put them in smaller, shallow containers that are suitable for the freezer.  YOu can also cool foods quickly by placing in a water tight container and immersing in a container of cold water.

How long can fresh uncooked hamburger be kept safely in the refirgerator

Fresh raw ground meat can be safely refrigerated for 1 to 2 days.

I took out a beef roast and sirloin steaks from the freezer and left them on the counter overnight (unintentionally) - are they still good? Our home temp was between 60 and 70 degrees all night.

No, they are not safe to consume.  Perishable foods should not be left unrefrigerated for longer than 2 hours.  Meat and other frozen foods should always be thawed in the refrigerator.

I froze a roast beef as soon as I came back from the supermarket.  I pull it out few days later to thaw it and cook it.  Once cooked, can I freeze it again  in portions for lunches?

Yes, but do not refreeze any of the meat again.  Freezing in small portions is a great idea, take out what you need and keep the rest frozen for 3 - 6 months.

I bought cube steaks on wednesday night, forgot and left in refrig. is it still safe to eat

Raw steaks can be refrigerated as long as 2 to 4 days.

Why can't we refreeze meat once it has been thawed?

There are microbiological as well as quality issues involved.  Every time meat is thawed it is brought to a temperature that illness causing bacteria love.  The more you expose the meat to this temperature (between 4º and 40º C), the greater your chances of contaminating the meat or allowing bacteria that may already be present to grow.  They will not grow at freezing temperatures (18º C).  In addition, repeated freezing may cause ice crystals to form in the meat.  The crystals will become larger the more you freeze and thaw, thus making the meat more tough. 

i mixed raw hamburger with stuffing mix and didn't cook it i refrigerated over night can i still cook it now

Fresh ground beef is a highly perishable food item and may be cooked or frozen within 1 - 2 days of the packaged on date as indicated on the label.  When cooking the ground beef, using an instant read thermometer is the only way to be sure the beef has reached a high enough temperature to destroy harmful bacteria.  The thermometer should reach an internal temperature of 71ºC (160ºF) for ground beef.

I prepared a shank-end leg in the oven Friday night and I left it until Monday morning.  What are the risks?

If refrigerated properly, you can safely eat the meat within 3 days.  If you left the meat out at room temperature, do not eat, as it may be contaminated with bacteria that could make you very ill.

How long can I keep cooked chicken wings in the refrigerator

Cooked chicken wings will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.

I cooked some pot barley and left it on the kitchen counter over night from 11pm to 6am when I noticed it. My house temp over night is about 18 celsius. Is it safe to eat??

The barley may have been exposed to airborne contaminants such as moulds and possibly pathogens.  You should throw it out.

I bought frozen shrimp tails Sunday, put them in refrigerator and they thawed. Can I cook them Wednesday evening?

Raw and cooked shrimp are highly perishable and should be cooked within 1 -2 days of thawing.  In your case, if they took 24 hours to thaw they should be fine to cook on Wednesday.

I took out fast fry meat on Wed morning, and the meat has been in the fridge since then. Can I refreeze the meat?

If the meat has ice crystals on it, it may be safely refrozen and texture will not be compromised. If not, you should cook the meat and then freeze it.  It can be frozen for 10 - 12 months. 

I finished cooking my turkey at 8am & pull it out of the oven, left it out on the counter to cool until 3:30pm. Is it OK to eat?

When a cooked turkey is left at room temperature longer than two hours, there is a risk that it may become contaminated with harmful bacteria. Unless the stuffing is removed and the meat is cut from the bones, spread on a tray and refrigerated within two hours of removing from the oven, it should be discarded.

When frozen hamburger is thawed out and not all of it is used, can you re-freeze the hamburger ?

MInced or ground raw meats that have been frozen and thawed are particularly dangerous because there is a greater risk that they may contain harmful bacteria. Do not refreeze thawed raw ground meat without cooking it first.

I forgot to refrigerate chicken that I bought (2100 yesterday evening).  It, it is 13:00 the following day. Do I have absolutely have to throw it away?

Perishable foods such as raw poultry should be refrigerated as soon as possible (2 hours maximum).  You have well exceeded this maximum.  You should throw the chicken out!

Hi!  I pulled out of the freezer a 675 g roast beef.  We eat approximately 250 grams of meat per day (good for our diet).  If I thaw it in the microwave and I cook it medium rare, can I put the left-over in the refrigerator for approximately 46 hours?  Thank you!

Yes.  Cooked meats such as beef can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Hi!  I gave my daughter some food that I prepared and froze.  She let some thawed and refroze them again because she did not eat them.  Is it dangerous?  Since that time, she did not do it again.

It depends of how far the food has defrosted and how it has been defrosted.  If the food has been defrosted in the refrigerator at all time and still have ice crystals covering it or it is very cold to the touch, it would be safe to put back in the freezer.  There could be a loss in quality since freezing and thawing food damage cell structures and would have a tendency to dry the food.  Repetitive freezing and thawing is not recommended and could be a health hazard.   

My question is regarding Tilapia. I bought a couple packs that were vaccuum sealed and frozen. I bought them at 8pm and left them out to thaw. I had forgotten them overnight and this morning cooked them at 9am. I tried a small sample and i can't tell.... it didn't smell funny when i took them out of the pack and rinsed them. But i am nervous. Why take the chance? Would the fish be alright to eat?

No, perishable foods should be refrigerated as soon as possible or thawed in the refrigerator all the time, but not left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.  Please throw them out!

I took out a roast beef on friday to thaw and put it directly into the refridgerator. It is now tuesday. Is it safe to cook?

If you roast beef took a whole 24 hours to thaw and knowing that it can be safely stored in the refrigerator for three to four days afterwards, cooking it on Tuesday would be fine as it would still be in the time allowed for cooking it.

I want to cook chicken and vegetable stew. The last time I cooked it, I put the raw chicken, onions, celery, and carrots in a pot. Cooked them for 1 hours, then boned the chicken, added meat back to a still hot pot of veggies and broth. Added potatoes, cooked it all for another 30 minutes and we ate it. We got sallmonella poisoning and I am wondering what I did wrong, or if I can learn to make it again without having this happen. I made my entire family so sick the last time and I have terrible guilt from it so I want to understand how it happened and how to ensure that it does not happen again. Thank you.

It is difficult to say how your family got sick, but raw chicken is often the culprit of salmonella poisoning.  In future, use a cutting board strictly for raw meat, and one for vegetables.  Cut vegetables first, and meat last.  Cook the chicken first, without the vegetables. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken pieces are 77º C (170º F) using a food thermometer. Always wash your hands and working surfaces very well after handling raw meat and poultry.  Add the vegetables to the cooked chicken, including the potatoes.  Check out my website on how to cook, clean, chill and separate food properly!

i left a fully cooked sirloin beef roast in white sauce last night and did not refigerate it untill the next day . We ate dinner about 7:30 p. m. and put it back into the refrigerator around 9 a.m. the next morning. Is it safe to eat .

I am afraid that yoru sirlon beef roast would not be safe to eat as it was left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.  Even if it was fully cooked, there are heat resistant bacterial spores that would germinated and multiply while the product is exposed in the danger zone of temperature.  It should have been refrigerated immediately after the dinner.  Throw it out.

I froze home made stuffing with sausage that was NOT cooked in the bird, after christmas. Is it safe to eat after 2 months frozen?

Cooked stuffing may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.  Cooked or not, make sure that it is thawed in the refrigerator and cook it until it reach an internal temperature of 74 degrees C (165 degrees F) measured with a food thermometer.

I work in a restaurant and we are having a debate on food safety. The debate is whether to wash our hands after handling frozen meats and chicken. I say no because the are frozen solid. I say we must wash our hands when the meats are partially cooked or raw meats. Can you please help us.

Freezing does not destroy bacteria on food, just stops their growth.  You should ABSOLUTELY wash your hands after handling raw meat and poultry, even if it is frozen. 

I cooked some onions and squash in the oven and forgot about it overnight in the frig.  Can I still eat it?

If these foods were refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking, you may eat them. 

Is it OK to refrigerate raw ground beef that has been mixed with fresh garlic and spices in the refrigerator overnight and cook them the next day?

The extra handling of ground beef during the mixing with garlic and spices and refrigeration overnight does increase the risk of contamination with harmful bacteria. So be sure to cook the meat to a safe temperature of 71 C/160 F.

Freezer turned off by mistake for 12 hrs. i had a turkey in there. when i turned freezer back on it re froze. is it safe to eat.

If the power is turned off, food in a full freezer will remain mostly frozen for 48 hours, in a half full freezer for 24 hours. So your turkey may have only partially thawed during the 12 hours. It would be safe to refreeze and eat at a later date. 

I have purchased some stuffing at the end of December and I put it in the freezer immediately.  I noticed today while I pulled it out of the freezer that the container bloated.  Does the stuffing still good to eat?  Thank you!

Stuffing can be frozen for as long as three months if it has been handled safely. But if the container bloated, there may be some spoilage.If in doubt, do not use.

Hi, I have just taken a frozen silverside of beef from the freezer and wandered if it is safe to cook it straight away? My mum says she cooks hers from frozen in the pressure cooker and its ok, but thought i would check as don't want to give the family food poisoning. Thanks

Beef can be cooked from the frozen state, however it will take longer for the beef to reach the minimum safe temperature of 63 degrees C / 145 degrees F for rare as measured by a food thermometer inserted in the beef.. 

Is it safe to mixed ground beef and fresh onions together, stored overnight and then shape and bake the next day? A friend told me that the fresh onions does something bad to meat to make it not edible.

To the best of our information, mixing fresh chopped onions with ground beef and storing overnight in the refrigerator does not pose a food safety risk.  However, follow these steps to ensure that the raw ground beef mixture stays safe while refrigerated.  Wash hands and countertops well with hot soapy water.  As raw ground beef spoils quickly, be sure it is purchased fresh and stored refrigerated.  Raw ground beef needs to be cooked within 24 hours from the Packaged on Date.  Handle the ground beef mixture as little as possible and keep the mixture well chilled until ready to cook.  Using an instant read food thermometer, cook the ground beef to a safe internal temperature of 71ºC (160ºF).  

Hi!  Can we freeze a fresh roast beef?  Thank you!

A raw roast beef can be frozen, in suitable freezer wrap, for as long as 10 to 12 months.

I have 2 questions. 1) can I freeze raw beef and cook it at a later date and use it to cook a meal to freeze. 2) how long does ground chicken last in the freezer. 

All ground meats including beef and chicken can be frozen 2 to 3 months. Yes, they can be defrosted and used in a meal which can be frozen.

Hi, I want to throw my boyfriend a party and I am going to need to buy the food, meats and fruits included in Fremont the day before we drive to Vallejo. I don't want to freeze the meat because it takes a long time to unfreeze. Is it ok if I buy the meat and food on Thursday, refrigerate that night through Friday and take out for an hour and a half to make the drive to Vallejo and place back in the fridge and or marinate overnight?

It would be strongly recommended to use a cooler or a insulated bag with ice packs during transportation to be sure that the food will stay cool especially if you are traveling during a nice sunny day where the temperature in the car or in the trunk could be high.  Food should not be exposed to ambiant temperature for more than two hours but only an hour during hte warm summer months of summer.

I bought unfrozen uncooked meats and left it out at room temperature for 9 hours, it was barely cool, I threw it out, my husband was upset and said he could have cooked it on the grill. Did I do the right thing?

Absolutely.  Meats are highly perishable foods and being left at room temperature for more than 9 hours, it is unthinkable to cook them for consumption.  The thought of the meat having a sour smell to start with coupling with the possibility of having harmful bacteria present to a level where any cooking temperatures would not be able to kill them its enough to make you sick.  And this is not counting on toxin production.  You did the right thing.  You probably save some lives here.

I refroze uncooked shrimp is it safe to eat if I cook it now Thank you

It depends.  If they were thawed in the refrigerator and were very cold with preferably presence of ice crystals and were put back in the freezer at that stage, then they will be safe to eat.  Raw shrimps keep in the refrigeratior for up to 2 days.  So if they were in the refrigerator longer than that time, there might be a risk of food poisoning.

Hi I was wondering how long I could keep fresh chicken in the fridge it goes bad? I had chicken in the fridge for about 5 days then freezed it and now debating if its still safe to eat.

Fresh chicken will keep in the refrigerator for three days.

I left (4) COWBOW type steaks out overnight, they are shrinkwrapped. Are they ruined? They were room temperature in the morning.

Unfortunately, your cowbow type steaks have been exposed to dangerous temperatures for much longer than two hours.  They should not be cooked and consumed.  Throw them out!

Hi!  I ourchased some grounded meat at the butcher shop two days ago.  Can I consumed it cooked and freeze the rest knowing it is raw.

Ground meat purchased in a store should be cooked or frozen within two days of purchase.  Cooked, leftover can be frozen too.

How long can we keep white fresh sausages in the refrigerator before freezing them?

White fresh sausages can be kept in the refrigerator for three to dour days before freezing or cooking them.

How long can a barbequed tri tip be at room temperature and still be safe to eat?

Barbecued tri-tips should be left at room temperature more than 2 hours; one hour during the summer months.

I pulled out of the freezer some chicken breast schnitzels last night and forgot to thaw them in the refrigerator.  Shouls I throw them out?

Unfortunately yes, you must throw them out.  They have been thawed at room temperature and as such they have been exposed to dangerous temperatures for more than 2 hours, one hour during the hot summer months.

Hi, On Saturday I took out top sirloin steaks from the freezer to thaw in the fridge. We didn't cook all of the steak but put it in another ziplock bag...handling it with clean bare hands. It is now Thursday...are the steaks ok to cook?

Once thawed the top si