# How dangerous is day-old, unrefrigerated pizza? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 8, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927 "2010-11-08T17:08:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [November 8, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/21 "2010-11-08T19:19:21Z")
I’m not saying it’s guaranteed safe, but… can I have some? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/22 "2010-11-08T19:21:33Z")
Been doing this all my life; usually eat the stuff the next morning for breakfast without heating it up. I’ve been known to go another day on occasion, but it’s rare–mostly because the bread gets wickedly stale by that time rather than any particular worry about contamination. In fact, my family has a certain cavalier streak about this type of thing–stew is often left sitting out on the stove overnight and eaten with no problems the next day, for example. FWIW, I seem to have a strong stomach; never really have any digestive ailments. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/23 "2010-11-08T19:30:22Z")
I can’t really eat pizza any longer, but I always left it out overnight on the stovetop or counter as long as it was just sauce, cheese, cured meats, and veggies. No chicken or shrimp or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/24 "2010-11-08T19:34:45Z")
Hasn’t killed me yet. ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/25 "2010-11-08T19:40:44Z")
I don’t think I’ve EVER kept left-over pizza in the fridge, and I’ve never been sick from it. Cold leftover pizza for breakfast was a rare treat in my house growing up 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/26 "2010-11-08T19:42:42Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Are you kidding me? What you’re describing is the best kind of pizza! Exactly. There is nothing better than a plain pizza that “aged” a bit, and then re-heated. I wouldn’t do this with toppings on it though. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/27 "2010-11-08T19:55:50Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Most restaurants leave ketchup bottles on their tables without refrigeration and have no problems. A lot of tomato-based sauces are probably acid enough to inhibit bacterial growth. totally no problem with eating pizza left out overnight. done it many times. the only way i might not chow down on overnight pizza is if anything on the pizza might have a cream base - and i’m not talking about the cheese. something like alfredo sauce as a topping would give me pause because of the potential to become an oversized petri dish. all the other typical pizza toppings are pretty much already well-preserved meats like sausage, ham, etc. in fact, i love hawaiian pizza, which i’ve left out on more than one occasion simply because i forgot about it. between the ham, the pineapple and the sauce (all acidic), \*\*Colibri \*\*is right: too acid for bacterial growth. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/28 "2010-11-08T20:42:23Z")
Tell everyone in the office that the pizzas are extremely dangerous. No one should even touch them for fear of dying instantly from horrible food-borne diseases. Offer to dispose of them as a public safety benefit. Then, take them home and eat them. 🙂 Ultimately, pizza is well-designed from an anti-microbial standpoint. Most components are acidic and/or salty. Almost all of the seasonings are anti-microbial too, including garlic, oregano, black pepper, red chile, other peppers and onions. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/29 "2010-11-08T21:13:09Z")
I might hesitate over the chicken, but the rest wouldn’t bother me. My wife lived for a year with a family in Paris that didn’t have a fridge. They never hesitated to eat left-overs. A friend of mine once inadvertently left a Mickey D’s milkshake in the trunk of his car for a week. When he discovered it, he expected to see a large growth of mold. Absolutely nothing. it was incapable of supporting life. Although he didn’t try to drink it. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/30 "2010-11-08T21:37:31Z")
Tomato sauce is supposed to hostile to microscopic critters. I’ve eaten cheese pizza left out over night. Pepperoni is hardly a food, I’d eat that too as long as it wasn’t a hot and sweaty day. Sausage, maybe not…you take your chance by eating unrefrigerated pizza, but how long does it take to go bad, anyway? I’ve had pizza at parties that has sat around for hours and we’re still munching away at it. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/31 "2010-11-08T21:42:46Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > A friend of mine once inadvertently left a Mickey D’s milkshake in the trunk of his car for a week. When he discovered it, he expected to see a large growth of mold. Absolutely nothing. it was incapable of supporting life. Although he didn’t try to drink it. Oh, whew! You scared me there for a second. I thought you were going to say he drank it. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/32 "2010-11-08T21:52:55Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > In separate cartons, there are slices left of plain, pepperoni, sausage, onion, and chicken pizza. There is also a carton with two slices–one slice with pepperoni and one plain, but they were from a 1/2 & 1/2, so they are touching. > > They’ve been out all night, unrefrigerated in a room. It’s 16 hours later. > > Are any of them safe to eat? One day? I’ve eaten two slices that had sat out in the box on the counter for two days. Plain only though, no extra toppings. I just popped those bad boys in the microwave for thirty seconds and they were almost as good as when they were first delivered. I actually meant to throw them away, but got a ‘why not?’ vibe as I was headed to the trash and instantly pivoted toward the microwave. I was thisclose to chucking them though. It doesn’t hurt that I like day old pizza anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/33 "2010-11-08T21:57:55Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > A friend of mine once inadvertently left a Mickey D’s milkshake in the trunk of his car for a week. When he discovered it, he expected to see a large growth of mold. Absolutely nothing. it was incapable of supporting life. Although he didn’t try to drink it. Please 😉 - I have read some reports that left McD’s shakes our for a YEAR and they were still basically fine. I will see if I can find one. [Here’s a report on a 12-year-old McD’s burger](http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/09/12-year-old-mcdonalds-hamburger-still-looking-good.html)…and [here’s a Happy Meal that lasted 6 months](http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/10/13/mcdonalds-happy-meal-didnt-decay-after-6-months-photos-show/)… As for pizza - my first thought was the same as **pulykamell’s** : I would never tell anyone it was completely safe, but wouldn’t hesitate to eat it myself… ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/34 "2010-11-08T22:05:01Z")
On Friday night we ordered pizza to fuel an evening project at work. The boxes do not fit in the mini fridge, as noted above. My son and I both ate leftover pizza for lunch on Saturday. I feel I should mention that the boxes we left in an unheated hallway. I might think twice about eating pizza that had spent the night in our toasty warm livingroom. As others have said, the one with chicken would give me pause. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/35 "2010-11-08T22:05:39Z")
Definitely not the chicken. Would you eat day old unrefrigerated chicken? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/36 "2010-11-08T22:40:41Z")
Hasn’t killed me yet. I do microwave it, because I can’t stand cold pizza - so maybe that takes care of the germs. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/37 "2010-11-08T23:01:40Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Definitely not the chicken. Would you eat day old unrefrigerated chicken? Sure. I’m terrible about these sorts of things. I leave food lying out overnight all the time, everything from roast chicken to cream-based sauces to broths and stews. I know they’re bacterial cesspools, but I haven’t gotten sick from them yet. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/38 "2010-11-08T23:03:28Z")
I’ve eaten 100s of pieces of meat covered pizza stored in this manner over the years - it’s actually how I prefer it - and I’ve never once had an adverse effect. YMMV, of course. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/39 "2010-11-08T23:14:49Z")
It’s extremely dangerous. Whatever you do, don’t eat any of it. I suggest you send it to me immediately, and I will dispose of it for you. I can’t count the number of day old pizza I’ve eaten. Of course, past performance is no guarantee of future results, but I wouldn’t think twice about it as long as it smelled OK. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927/40 "2010-11-08T23:17:18Z")
Now I’m trying to remember a song about waking up after a party, eating cold pizza and drinking warm beer. It’ll come. Oh, and I eat day old pizza. No warm beer, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-day-old-unrefrigerated-pizza/559927.md?page=3)