A similar thread made me think of this. I work really long hours so at the start of the week I try to make a big dinner eg lasagne for the week, but I never bother freezing it, I jsut shove it in the fridge. I know this isn’t the smartest thing to do but I’ve survived this long and never poisoned myseft (and I ate all kinds of raw stuff as a kid). Am I walking on a razor edge or is food poisoning just all that common?
The pathogenic bacteria that cause food poisoning require four things in order to reproduce to dangerous levels:
-Food (usually protein, but not always)
-Moisture
-Warmth
-Time
If any of these four things is denied, their reproduction will be inhibited; you keep the food in the fridge, so they cannot undergo runaway reproduction.
Now here’s a scenario that would be a problem though:
1 Make a huge dish of lasagne, place in the fridge.
2 Take it out the next day and warm the entire dish, but not to piping hot, just warm enough to be edible
3 Eat some of it with a spoon, directly from the dish (transferring bacteria from your mouth to the dish after the first bite)
4 Return the remainder to the fridge (where it takes an hour to cool down properly)
5 Repeat from day to day from step 2
In this case, you’d be providing conditions in which a dangerous population of bacteria could build up - they can’t grow fast in the fridge, but it doesn’t kill them either.
However, even under refrigeration, reproduction still continues, but very very much slower; one week would be pretty much my outside limit for fridge storage of home-cooked food and even then, I’d want top be sure that the fridge is maintaining the proper temperature.
Meh. A little food poisoning’s good for ya. Helps stimulate the immune system. Just think of it as ‘self-inoculation’.
Whilst it is undoubtedly true that a moderate intake of dirt and bacteria will keep your immune system on its toes, food poisoning does not necessarily fall under this category, particularly the toxic kind (where it isn’t the bacteria themselves that harm you, but the toxins they have deposited in the food).
If your belly aches a coupla hours later after eating , it is most likely food poisoning.
I’ve never had it, and I routinely eat:(a) food left out on the counter or in my office for hours; and (b) food from street food carts with, to be charitable, dubious temperature control; and © Peking duck (apparently a big health inspector target because it is supposed to be hung out at room temp. traditionally?) and other dubious oriental delights.
I understand from those who have had it that it’s easy to recognize, because it is quick-onset and intense, but reasonably brief in duration, unlike many other stomach bugs.