# I ate a burger that was left out for 5 hours? will i be ok? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2014, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945 "2014-04-25T11:24:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945/21 "2014-04-26T01:02:01Z")
The [FDA](http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/BuyStoreServeSafeFood/ucm255180.htm) recommends that you not eat perishable food that’s been left out at room temperature for more than two hours, or more than one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees (Fahrenheit). So eating a burger that’s been sitting in your car for over five hours is not a good idea. That said, plenty of people eat questionable food and are either fine or only moderately ill afterward. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945/22 "2014-04-26T01:04:56Z")
Even if bacteria grow on it, what are the odds that the bacteria is pathogenic? I’m curious if anyone knows since the majority of bacteria is not pathogenic. Would e. coli be a risk due to the beef, or would the cooking have killed most of it off so it doesn’t have enough time to grow back? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945/23 "2014-04-26T01:54:17Z")
> [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](#): > > I would skip it as a matter of pride and culinary taste. After shopping at BK, I’d say it’s too late for that. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945/24 "2014-04-26T07:14:35Z")
> [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](#): > > I would skip it as a matter of pride and culinary taste. Oddly, I would eat it for exactly the same reasons. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945/25 "2014-04-26T09:16:31Z")
You can probably eat it after [five months](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2oMdBfScxU). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945/26 "2014-04-26T13:02:25Z")
[QUOTE=ethelbert] Please post back tomorrow so we know you haven’t turned into Dcorpse. [/QUOTE] hmm. **Dman53** ’s OP was at 5.24 am yesterday, and his profile indicates that his last activity on the board was at 5.25 am. Cause for concern? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945/27 "2014-04-26T14:27:07Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > hmm. **Dman53** ’s OP was at 5.24 am yesterday, and his profile indicates that his last activity on the board was at 5.25 am. Cause for concern? :eek: Hard to say. He might be sick. …or maybe he’s just not a stool pidgeon… ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945/28 "2014-04-26T16:07:00Z")
> [@Dman53](#): > > i got a burger from BK five and a half hours ago and left it in the car. and i just started to eat it and then i stopped. i only took 3 bites. it was pretty cold in the car. will i be ok? Sure think. BK’s slogan is “Have it your way,” and to that effect, I often request that my burgers be served after spending 5 hours in someone’s cold car. So far, so good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ate-a-burger-that-was-left-out-for-5-hours-will-i-be-ok/686945.md?page=1)