food question

[rh71]

I recently read that you should keep your fridge at 40F or cooler to prevent bacteria growth. Between 40F and 120F bacteria can grow pretty rapidly leading to food poisoning, especially with moisture around (the fridge works to keeps moisture out). I had it at 47F for the longest time and never had an issue, but I've put it to 39F to be safe.

Now every morning at 830am I prep lunch for my kids for school. It's refrigerated all night (leftovers) and I microwave it in the morning so it's not completely cold when they eat it at 1130am. I immediately close off the tubberware lid after mic'ing and put it in their lunch "box" which is supposed to keep things warm / cold. But with the heating up there's also some moisture inside. Is this bad in terms of bacteria growth? Today was spaghetti and some meat for example. They've been fine so far. Obviously they don't microwave kids lunches at pre-school.

 

[ElFenix]

they're gone already. i'm sorry for your loss

 

[surfsatwerk]

Them who die will be the lucky ones.

 

[slayer202]

RIP

 

[torpid]

I would not do this. I say that as someone who keeps his lunch at room temperature all day at work.

 

[Zeze]

Pfft they're fine.

 

[vshah]

pbj

oh wait, they'll get expelled.

 

[Markbnj]

Just use common sense. Keep perishables refrigerated. Don't leave meat sitting around at room temperature. Cook food thoroughly. Don't read 'Prevention' magazine. Our species survived no refrigeration for a million years, and poor refrigeration for a few hundred more. You'll be fine.

 

[PowerYoga]

"close the lid quickly" does nothing. If the food is exposed to air its exposed to bacteria already. You're basically rolling the dice right now.

 

[Mixolydian]

If you sent it to school in a Thermos it would probably be fine, a plastic container on the other hand....

 

[radhak]

I recently read that you should keep your fridge at 40F or cooler to prevent bacteria growth. Between 40F and 120F bacteria can grow pretty rapidly leading to food poisoning, especially with moisture around (the fridge works to keeps moisture out). I had it at 47F for the longest time and never had an issue, but I've put it to 39F to be safe.

Now every morning at 830am I prep lunch for my kids for school. It's refrigerated all night (leftovers) and I microwave it in the morning so it's not completely cold when they eat it at 1130am. I immediately close off the tubberware lid after mic'ing and put it in their lunch "box" which is supposed to keep things warm / cold. But with the heating up there's also some moisture inside. Is this bad in terms of bacteria growth? Today was spaghetti and some meat for example. They've been fine so far. Obviously they don't microwave kids lunches at pre-school.

What temp is your freezer?

Do you have milk, eggs or other animal products in the fridge? Those are the ones that spoil first; or who knows - maybe you have built up your kids' immunity system by now!

Ideally, keep your fridge at 37° F and your freezer at 0°.

I can't believe moisture in lunch boxes would become an issue within hours.

I've heard leftovers should be heated to 'steaming hot' (165° or more), but don't know the science behind that.

I have a couple of steel containers to pack lunch in - I avoid plastic whenever packing 'hot' (or warmed up) food.

 

[theknight571]

My school lunch, for years, included a bologna and cheese with mayo sandwich put in a cheap sandwich bag, then in a in a brown paper lunch bag, which was kept in my locker till lunch time.

I survived.

 

[SunnyD]

What doesn't kill them...

 

[clamum]

Just use common sense. Keep perishables refrigerated. Don't leave meat sitting around at room temperature. Cook food thoroughly. Don't read 'Prevention' magazine. Our species survived no refrigeration for a million years, and poor refrigeration for a few hundred more. You'll be fine.

Good God this.

 

[jimbob200521]

I've worked in kitchens for years and am certified by the Illinois Department of Public Health, so here's what it is:

Fridge needs to be at 42 or lower, and freezer needs to be at 0 or lower. The reason for this goes to the 2-4-6 rule. A brief explanation of this is food bacteria (99.9% of food bacteria) dies at 165, so all food should be cooked to that temp to ensure it is safe to eat. If you cook to a lower temp, it needs to be at that temp longer to be safe, but we're getting off topic so I digress.

Anywho, Between 165 and 42 is what's considered the "danger zone" (yep, that's an official term, but no theme song) because those are the temps in which bacteria thrive. When cooling food, it is standard practice to rapidly cool the food from 165 to 70 in 2 hours, and from 70 to 42 in 4 hours for a total cooling time of 6 hours (hence 2-4-6). Below 42, you're as safe as you're going to get without freezing food (which, btw, doesn't kill bacteria, just stops it till it's thawed).

Hope this helps, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Insomniator]

47 is definitely too warm for a fridge.

And... you microwave your kids lunches in the morning 3 hours before they eat it? I've never heard of this before... try giving them cold food.

You shouldn't microwave something that isn't going to be eaten for 3 hours.

 

[nageov3t]

My school lunch, for years, included a bologna and cheese with mayo sandwich put in a cheap sandwich bag, then in a in a brown paper lunch bag, which was kept in my locker till lunch time.

I survived.

seriously.

it seems a little gross as an adult, but all through grammar school my lunches were some type of cold cut sandwich that came out of the fridge at 7 am and sat in my backpack/locker at or above room temperature until noon.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Food poisoning isn't really that bad anyway. All this fussing over germs... what the fuck? You kept your fridge at 47 degrees, LIVING ON THE EDGE OF SANITY, and what happened? Were you and your children constantly suffering from intestinal parasites? No? Well then maybe that's an indication that this shit REALLY ISN'T THAT SERIOUS. People make some huge deal out of leaving food out as if it will kill you dead immediately. I eat leftover pizza all the time, I NEVER refrigerate it, and I haven't gotten sick from it once. We have gone completely insane about germs and it is not healthy.

Make your kids lunch the way you make it and forget about it. They've survived this long without incident. What are the odds that changes just because you read something that said otherwise?

 

[jimbob200521]

Food poisoning isn't really that bad anyway. All this fussing over germs... what the fuck? You kept your fridge at 47 degrees, LIVING ON THE EDGE OF SANITY, and what happened? Were you and your children constantly suffering from intestinal parasites? No? Well then maybe that's an indication that this shit REALLY ISN'T THAT SERIOUS. People make some huge deal out of leaving food out as if it will kill you dead immediately. I eat leftover pizza all the time, I NEVER refrigerate it, and I haven't gotten sick from it once. We have gone completely insane about germs and it is not healthy.

Make your kids lunch the way you make it and forget about it. They've survived this long without incident. What are the odds that changes just because you read something that said otherwise?

Agreed, but the poster did ask what's safest or what it's supposed to be set at, etc. I grew up not knowing about the 3 second rule and gasp!!! I never got sick or died. It takes a lot to go right (err wrong) to get sick. The microwaving food 3 hours before it's eaten isn't right, but to each there own. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, and I believe that.

 

[swanysto]

I thought that bacteria on my lunch food was the reason I never got/get sick. I also bite my nails hourly, so it could be that too.

 

[Howard]

I've worked in kitchens for years and am certified by the Illinois Department of Public Health, so here's what it is:

Fridge needs to be at 42 or lower, and freezer needs to be at 0 or lower. The reason for this goes to the 2-4-6 rule. A brief explanation of this is food bacteria (99.9% of food bacteria) dies at 165, so all food should be cooked to that temp to ensure it is safe to eat. If you cook to a lower temp, it needs to be at that temp longer to be safe, but we're getting off topic so I digress.

Anywho, Between 165 and 42 is what's considered the "danger zone" (yep, that's an official term, but no theme song) because those are the temps in which bacteria thrive. When cooling food, it is standard practice to rapidly cool the food from 165 to 70 in 2 hours, and from 70 to 42 in 4 hours for a total cooling time of 6 hours (hence 2-4-6). Below 42, you're as safe as you're going to get without freezing food (which, btw, doesn't kill bacteria, just stops it till it's thawed).

Hope this helps, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

E. coli and salmonella cannot "thrive" above ~133F.

 

[johnjohn320]

Food poisoning isn't really that bad anyway. All this fussing over germs... what the fuck? You kept your fridge at 47 degrees, LIVING ON THE EDGE OF SANITY, and what happened? Were you and your children constantly suffering from intestinal parasites? No? Well then maybe that's an indication that this shit REALLY ISN'T THAT SERIOUS. People make some huge deal out of leaving food out as if it will kill you dead immediately. I eat leftover pizza all the time, I NEVER refrigerate it, and I haven't gotten sick from it once. We have gone completely insane about germs and it is not healthy.

Make your kids lunch the way you make it and forget about it. They've survived this long without incident. What are the odds that changes just because you read something that said otherwise?

Isnt that a bit like saying "you didnt wear a seatbelt this whole time and NOTHING HAPPENED so clearly its safe to not wear a seatbelt"?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Isnt that a bit like saying "you didnt wear a seatbelt this whole time and NOTHING HAPPENED so clearly its safe to not wear a seatbelt"?

Not entirely. When you're driving, other people are on the road too, so an accident is not within your control. When you're eating, what you put in your body is entirely on you. As long as you exercise some basic common sense, you'll generally be fine. I wouldn't eat sushi that's been left out all night, but I will eat pizza. It's almost always better to put food in the fridge, but if something spends a few hours out of the fridge, that doesn't automatically make it bad. If it smells or looks funny, don't eat it. It's fairly straightforward.

Incidentally, the only times I've gotten food poisoning has been from freshly prepared food in a restaurant. Obviously they're following the requirements for "safe food," but those guidelines won't prevent 100% of food poisoning cases. So I figure, hey, safety is all well and good, but I'm not going to do it to some insane degree.

 

[Mixolydian]

Food poisoning isn't really that bad anyway.

Food poisoning can be and often is fatal.

 

[Krazy4Real]

You must enjoy killing your kids slowly.