# Would You Throw This Food Away? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2021, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028 "2021-03-30T15:47:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/1 "2021-03-30T15:47:41Z")
I got grocery a few days ago, and somehow I must have dropped the bag that had two quesadilla TV dinners. When I found them, I threw them in the freezer right away, like it was on life support. $4 is a lot of money for me right now, and I hate throwing food as a rule, unless its going to make me sick. I even thought about eating this during the day (I actually only eat right before bed) as opposed to having stomach troubles while I’m trying to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/2 "2021-03-30T15:59:46Z")
Unless they were not cold when you found them, I’d have no problem eating them. Those types of items are typically precooked anyways. Just make sure you bring it up to 165F when you heat it up. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/3 "2021-03-30T16:01:17Z")
Do you mean, it was thawed for _ **days** _ - sitting at room temperature for days already, before it went into the freezer? If so, absolutely do NOT eat it. Or do you mean, only on the ground for a few hours before being re-frozen? If it was less than 4-5 hours, and promptly refrozen as you said, it should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/4 "2021-03-30T16:02:44Z")
How long out? ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/5 "2021-03-30T16:04:24Z")
When you say the bag fell on the floor, do you mean the food was bare on the floor or the bag just fell? And which floor was it? Like, inside your house or on the floor of some public location? And for how long? And was the food fully cooked to begin with? If they’re quesadillas I’d assume so. If it were in my home and some fully cooked item that was out for an hour or so and were packaged, sure I’d chuck it in the freezer where it belonged and eat it later. I probably wouldn’t feed it to my kids just to be on the safe side, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m going to cook it later anyway. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/6 "2021-03-30T16:15:29Z")
The bag had the two (closed and frozen) frozen dinners. After it was sitting there (kitchen area where I close off the vents, but it’s inches away from the living room) for a few days, I found it, and threw it immediately into the freezer, and it’s been there for about 24 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/7 "2021-03-30T16:18:10Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > The bag had the two (closed and frozen) frozen dinners. After it was sitting there… **for a few days** , I found it, and threw it immediately into the freezer, and it’s been there for about 24 hours. Don’t eat it. It’s certainly gone bad. And it’s just four dollars. Even microwaving it past 165 F won’t do any good now, because the bacteria will have already introduced toxins into the food, which heating won’t eliminate. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/8 "2021-03-30T16:18:29Z")
A few days? In that case I have to change my answer to NO. It’s garbage. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/9 "2021-03-30T16:21:46Z")
Usually the answer to, “is this food safe?” has to be, “probably not”. In this case it’s “definitely not”. Do not eat prepared food that sat out unrefrigerated for days. DO NOT EAT ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/10 "2021-03-30T16:25:39Z")
Oh, yikes - a few DAYS?! No, I wouldn’t eat that. As someone who’s been in a situation where I had to choose between my medication to control my seizures and food, I’m so sorry - I know that what sounds like a little can mean a lot. But please don’t eat that. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/11 "2021-03-30T16:35:38Z")
Thank you all… I’m going to throw this into the garbage. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/12 "2021-03-30T16:39:43Z")
Nope, garbage. If it was still cold they’d suffer a little in taste or quality by refreezing. If still cold and you cooked them right away they’d probably be as good as they ever would be. A real shame for quesadilla dinners, sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/13 "2021-03-30T16:56:20Z")
Can you give us a more detailed description than just “quesadilla TV dinner”? If it was just tortillas and cheese then maybe it would be OK at room temperature for several days. BUT I NEVER INSTRUCTED YOU TO EAT ANYTHING. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/14 "2021-03-30T16:58:04Z")
I don’t know, I didn’t open it, and already threw them out. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/15 "2021-03-30T17:26:49Z")
Glad to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/16 "2021-03-30T19:38:57Z")
If it’s that big a deal, man, I’ll PayPal you $4. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/17 "2021-03-30T21:42:33Z")
Ditto, I’d chip in too. Maybe we can throw you a Dope dinner party. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/18 "2021-03-30T22:36:11Z")
I cannot imagine buying frozen quesadillas. They are about the easiest thing in the world to make. They’re my go-to when I just don’t have the energy for something else. Sounds as weird as the canned enchiladas a friend bought about a million years when went to school on the east coast, and Mexican food was super difficult to find – even the fixins’ to make it yourself were nowhere to be found. Next time just buy a package of tortillas (they last a long time), and a block of cheese. Even if the cheese gets a little moldy on the edges, you can just trim those bits off, and the cheese is fine. Gotta be cheaper in the long run than buying a frozen dinner. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/19 "2021-03-30T22:42:51Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > for a few days That’s the money quote. You didn’t initially say how long it had been out. My answer would have been, if it’s still at least semi-frozen and has distinct ice crystals in it, you can usually safely put back in the freezer. If it’s thawed but still cold, refrigerate and eat very soon. But in this case, nope. This is food poisoning waiting for you to open it. Throw it out!!! (Which I see you’ve already done.) ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028/20 "2021-03-30T23:03:10Z")
I don’t have an oven, and its cheaper to buy the unhealthy crap. I live alone, and hate throwing foods away that become expired. Ordering groceries online is tricky, because I’ll buy lettuce, but then they’re suddenly out of something else I ordered, and it’s stuck there. I can’t pay another $10 for shipping (and those pre-paid debit cards charge $2 for every transaction, $5 a month, etc) especially since they require orders of $50. I guess I just have to tough it out. I actually regret throwing it away. Those frozen dinners have so many preservatives… Maybe not as bad as a McDonalds hamburger looking the same after a year of being left out… I’ve eaten a few things I left overnight, but can’t remember right now, but I don’t remember getting sick. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-throw-this-food-away/939028.md?page=2)