# Do you refrigerate luncheon meat sandwiches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456 "2012-10-31T17:10:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/1 "2012-10-31T17:10:03Z")
My wife and I both bring sack lunches to work. She keeps hers refrigerated while I keep mine on my desk. She worries about food poisoning. I don’t. She also likes the taste of a cold sandwich to a room temperature one. I’m indifferent. So, if you take your luncheon meat sandwich to school or work, do you keep it refrigerated or not? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/2 "2012-10-31T17:18:23Z")
At our house, we’re pretty lackadaisical about refrigeration. I’m sure it’d turn some people’s hair white if they knew, but oh well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/3 "2012-10-31T17:24:28Z")
No, I don’t. I don’t like my luncheon meat sammiches that cold. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/4 "2012-10-31T17:44:37Z")
I have an insulated ‘sack’, so I leave it on my desk (even when bringing a frozen/microwaveable lunch as the slight thawing allows it to be nuked faster). I also do not use mayo - only mustard - so less need for fridge. As a side note - I always find it humorous when people take their entire insulated lunch carrier and put it in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/5 "2012-10-31T18:06:04Z")
No. I mean, I remember going to school and all the kids had their sack lunches from home, and those were never refrigerated… ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/6 "2012-10-31T18:11:07Z")
Yes, since we have a fridge at work, but if I forget to transfer it to the fridge it doesn’t stop me from eating it. I just prefer the sandwich cold. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/7 "2012-10-31T18:11:16Z")
I leave my lunch on my desk, be it a sandwich, leftover lasagna, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/8 "2012-10-31T18:15:16Z")
Nope, leave it on the desk. Room temp sammies taste better. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/9 "2012-10-31T18:37:36Z")
Six of one, half a dozen of the other. In other words, sometimes I put it in the fridge and sometimes I just plunk it on my desk. I don’t really care either way. As mentioned, in high school, all lunches were just thrown into the locker until lunch time. And we lived. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/10 "2012-10-31T18:44:09Z")
Insulated bags help a lot. I never put my sandwich in the fridge at work. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/11 "2012-10-31T18:47:51Z")
For 12 years of schooling and a good part of college and working years, my lunch was in a brown bag in my locker or desk. I prefer it that way. And I almost always had mayo on it and have yet to die from it (I so want to point that out to my MIL…) If I do stick my lunch in the communal fridge, I’ll nuke my sandwich before eating - I like my cheese melty. But I voted No because the lack of a fridge doesn’t get me all wound up. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/12 "2012-10-31T19:13:45Z")
I have an insulated bag and usually put it in the fridge, but I don’t worry about it if I forget. I put it in the fridge because I like my pop cold, not because I worry about the meat. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/13 "2012-10-31T19:30:25Z")
I do, but if I didn’t have a refrigerator, I’d have no problem keeping it at my desk. Lunch meat is thoroughly cooked and most guidelines for food safety are \*extremely \*conservative. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/14 "2012-10-31T19:32:34Z")
Mine would be in a bag on my desk. Except for when husband would cook up bacon for BLT’s for my lunch - then he’d put the mayo in a separate little container and I’d use the insulated little cooler thingy we have. I do not bring pop to work at all. I don’t drink much of it - I’m an iced tea kinda person. Or huge cup filled with ice and water. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/15 "2012-10-31T19:38:50Z")
Leave it at my desk, no matter if it is a sandwich or leftovers. I use an insulated bag, sometimes with a frozen plastic reusable “ice cube”. For the sandwiches, I use frozen bread - it is thawed by the time I eat and everything is still cool and fresh, even the lettuce and tomato, but not cold. Yes, I use mayo and no issues for years. The fridge here is usually stuffed with people’s insulated bags, as \*\*Fear the Turtle \*\*stated (I am guessing they probably have several days supplies in there). ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/16 "2012-10-31T20:02:15Z")
I prefer it cold, so I keep it in the fridge. But having it sit on my desk for a few hours wouldn’t keep me from eating it. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/17 "2012-10-31T20:08:50Z")
I leave it on my desk, but with an ice pack inside it of course. That should be an option in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/18 "2012-10-31T20:10:36Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > For 12 years of schooling and a good part of college and working years, my lunch was in a brown bag in my locker or desk. I prefer it that way. And I almost always had mayo on it and have yet to die from it (I so want to point that out to my MIL…) > > If I do stick my lunch in the communal fridge, I’ll nuke my sandwich before eating - I like my cheese melty. But I voted No because the lack of a fridge doesn’t get me all wound up. Unless you are making home-made mayo, you need not ever worry about your mayo going bad. Not at room temperature, not sitting out in the hot sun in a potato salad (if someone gets sick from it, it’s either the onions or the potatoes). Something to with the PH level in the mayo. I still refrigerate mine though. My boss and I “own” the bottom drawer of the work fridge. So we bring the sandwich items (bread, meat, mustard, mayo, lettuce, salad dressing, tomatoes, avocados, pickles, cheese, etc.) and assemble our lunch together at lunchtime, using the oven to toast the bread. So it all goes in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/19 "2012-10-31T20:41:53Z")
I bring my lunch to work and set it on my desk until lunchtime, no matter what it is. We’ve also been known to leave food at home sitting out an unrefrigerated for periods of time that should have left us all dead numerous times. It hasn’t killed us yet… ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456/20 "2012-10-31T20:48:06Z")
I didn’t vote because it depends what else is on the sammie. I usually add veggies and sometimes mayo. If there’s mayo, I either refrigerate it or add one of those little freezer blocks to my lunchbag. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-refrigerate-luncheon-meat-sandwiches/639456.md?page=2)