# Is it safe to eat this now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-now/87588 "2001-10-15T23:02:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rock-n-Rolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@Rock-n-Rolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock-n-Rolga)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-now/87588/1 "2001-10-15T23:02:03Z")
Last night I bought two vacumn-sealed packages of lunch meat but forgot to put them in the refrigerator until this morning. I’d say they were out for about eight or nine hours in a room that was about 68F. When I found them this morning, I put them in the fridge. Neither package has been opened and the meat looks okay to me. Could it be ok, or should I throw it all away? I hate to waste so much costly meat, but it’s small change compared to a nasty case of food poisoning… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Zambezi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Mr.Zambezi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Zambezi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-now/87588/2 "2001-10-15T23:04:56Z")
If it stayed sealed, then it should be OK. Plus, if it is deli meat, it is stuffed with preservatives including salt. A long as there wasn’t any Mayo on it… ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-now/87588/3 "2001-10-15T23:19:15Z")
Mr.Zambezi… Actually mayo retards spoilage… > [@](#): > > “Commercial mayonnaise is among the safest of foods when properly handled. Most harmful bacteria die off within hours in the presence of mayonnaise, largely due to its high acidity. As with all foods, individuals handling edibles should use proper hygienic practices and good judgment in preparing and storing foods. Precautions should be taken to avoid contaminating mayonnaise with harmful bacteria through contact with potentially hazardous foods or infected human carriers.” [http://www.bestfoods.com/mayosaf3.shtml](http://www.bestfoods.com/mayosaf3.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-now/87588/4 "2001-10-16T00:11:16Z")
Actually, if it’s just vacuum packed, it probably wasn’t sterile to begin with, so there probably was microbial growth while it was left out. Generally, you’ll be able to at least smell something off before microbial levels become dangerous, but there’s no guarantee. And while mayo on its own is, as has been said, fairly safe, it becomes a hazard when it contacts other foods. Salmonella contamination of the mayo isn’t unusual, and while it can’t grow in mayo alone, mayo could transfer it onto other foods, where it can grow. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-now/87588/5 "2001-10-16T05:24:09Z")
It also depends on the sort of lunch meat. Salami, for instance, keeps a bit longer than most, and would probably be OK. ---
**Author:** ![Mirage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Mirage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirage)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-now/87588/6 "2001-10-16T05:37:02Z")
Well, smell it and feel it. If it smells wrong or feels slimy, then it’s probably bad. At least that’s what I’ve come to expect from years of my mom asking me “do you think this tastes OK?” ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-now/87588/7 "2001-10-16T05:59:06Z")
If you do not have a compromised immune system the odds are very high that you should have zero problem harfing the stuff down.