When in doubt, throw it out? Food! - Page 2

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by shayinme

I must admit I agree with your dh. my dh who hates to waste food has been the unfortunate recipient of food poisoning multiple times, once so bad he had to go to the ER. Yes, it sucks to waste food but several days spent sick as a dog to save a few bucks is just not worth it in my opinion.

Shay

After that happened and then talking to my next door neighbor, I think he was right to do what he did. And both of us are very frugal. Normally I freeze a ton of stuff too since I have a huge huge freezer.

[ChattyCat]

I freeze half jars of marinara sauce, because they only keep 3-5 days once opened. They're very acidic, but there aren't really any preservatives in them (which is a good thing).

I have a very weak stomach, and I do not play around with food safety. My dh will sometimes eat things the day (or day after) that I would throw something out, but even that is about his limit. It's not worth being sick for a few days to a week or more and incurring the ER bill IMO. (I realize not everyone would have to go to the ER, but everytime that I have had a stomach bug of any sort, I get so dehydrated, that I have to go in for fluids at a minimum, if not stay a few days).

[txdancer]

From a servsafe perspective, I would definitely throw all that food away. There are a few important things to remember in these cases.
1st- If you live by sight and sell tests you should know that spoilage bacteria is different than the pathogens that cause food poisoning. In almost all cases the bacteria that cause illness there are no physical changes to the food.

2nd- Just cooking food to boiling will not protect from all types of food borne sickness. There are two forms of food borne illness, infection and intoxication.

In infections- the actual microorganism is what causes the illness, and therefore cooking to an appropriate temperture will kill it off.

In intoxications- the microorganisms produce toxins in the food during the period of time that the food is being temperture-abused, and no matter what you do to that food,the toxins will remain in the food. One example of this type of microorganism is staph.

[ZoolyZen]

Originally Posted by Ammaarah

If it went bad by the sell-by date, take it back to Costco.

Tilapia has virtually no smell so I would definitely toss stinky tilapia.

Yep.

[meowee]

Open tomato products should be thrown out within a week. Any fish or meat that smells bad should be thrown out too and not eaten.

I get food poisoning easily so I've learned to be careful.

[JTA Mom]

I agree with all the others. Usually I keep tomato based items for 2 to 3 days. Meat, only one day in the fridge. I'm paranoid about meat though, lol. And that tilapia should definitely not have been stinky!

[Baby Makes 4]

Originally Posted by mum4boys

Boy I am must more conservative then all of you when it comes to food. Of course I have wound up in the hospital before from food poisoning (from a restaurant). Marinara sauce I use in 3 days or freeze or else it is out. Fish I use right away within a day or it goes in the freezer.

I got food poisoning at a potluck and spent a week in the hospital on IV antibiotics when I was pregnant with my youngest. If in doubt, throw it out!!

[Baby Makes 4]

Originally Posted by meowee

Open tomato products should be thrown out within a week.

Does that include ketchup?? I thought ketchup was one of those lasts-forever things.

[MilkTrance]

I feel for ya. I just threw out two sirloin steaks because they went bad.

[mum4boys]

Originally Posted by Baby Makes 4

Does that include ketchup?? I thought ketchup was one of those lasts-forever things.

More information then you asked but in the fridge, opened ketchup, jams and jellies will remain in an optimal state for about six months. Mustard and soy sauce will hang on for about a year, mayo and barbecue sauce last about two months, and salsa should get the axe after one month.

According to Heinz, opened ketchup does not need refrigeration and will retain its flavor for upwards of a month.

[mum4boys]

I found this with regards to leftovers:

Opinions on how long properly stored leftovers will still be edible vary from source to source. Many experts suggest a maximum of two days for all types of leftovers, beginning with the initial refrigeration. Others suggest that leftovers containing meat should be eaten within one to three days, while other leftovers may last as long as three to five days. Meat products tend to attract more serious food-contaminating bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli. Vegetables not prepared with meat may stay edible a little longer.

[Blucactus]

i am pretty strict when it comes to food safety, to the extent that people make fun of me (particularly my husband). i wash fruits and veggies before using them, and even ones with inedible skins/rinds i wash because the knife cuts through that part on the way to the innards. meat and eggs get the heck cooked out of them--my husband prefers meat in a semi-cooked state, which i will allow him to cook for himself, but not permit to be fed to our 2 year old. anything that smells weird or looks off or i just have a bad feeling about it, gets tossed. i hate to waste food & money but food poisoning is just BAD NEWS. we have a three-day rule in our house--leftovers are good for three days then tossed. jarred sauce such as the one the op has in question would get maybe a week, my husband would eat it until it smelled or had stuff growing on it, i wouldn't touch it after a week max if i knew. condiments of course last longer. fruit and veggies are eaten quickly and tossed if they start to look icky.

[Blucactus]

i am pretty strict when it comes to food safety, to the extent that people make fun of me (particularly my husband). i wash fruits and veggies before using them, and even ones with inedible skins/rinds i wash because the knife cuts through that part on the way to the innards. meat and eggs get the heck cooked out of them--my husband prefers meat in a semi-cooked state, which i will allow him to cook for himself, but not permit to be fed to our 2 year old. anything that smells weird or looks off or i just have a bad feeling about it, gets tossed. i hate to waste food & money but food poisoning is just BAD NEWS. we have a three-day rule in our house--leftovers are good for three days then tossed. jarred sauce such as the one the op has in question would get maybe a week, my husband would eat it until it smelled or had stuff growing on it, i wouldn't touch it after a week max if i knew. condiments of course last longer. fruit and veggies are eaten quickly and tossed if they start to look icky.

[Blucactus]

i am pretty strict when it comes to food safety, to the extent that people make fun of me (particularly my husband). i wash fruits and veggies before using them, and even ones with inedible skins/rinds i wash because the knife cuts through that part on the way to the innards. meat and eggs get the heck cooked out of them--my husband prefers meat in a semi-cooked state, which i will allow him to cook for himself, but not permit to be fed to our 2 year old. anything that smells weird or looks off or i just have a bad feeling about it, gets tossed. i hate to waste food & money but food poisoning is just BAD NEWS. we have a three-day rule in our house--leftovers are good for three days then tossed. jarred sauce such as the one the op has in question would get maybe a week, my husband would eat it until it smelled or had stuff growing on it, i wouldn't touch it after a week max if i knew. condiments of course last longer. fruit and veggies are eaten quickly and tossed if they start to look icky.

[Blucactus]

i am pretty strict when it comes to food safety, to the extent that people make fun of me (particularly my husband). i wash fruits and veggies before using them, and even ones with inedible skins/rinds i wash because the knife cuts through that part on the way to the innards. meat and eggs get the heck cooked out of them--my husband prefers meat in a semi-cooked state, which i will allow him to cook for himself, but not permit to be fed to our 2 year old. anything that smells weird or looks off or i just have a bad feeling about it, gets tossed. i hate to waste food & money but food poisoning is just BAD NEWS. we have a three-day rule in our house--leftovers are good for three days then tossed. jarred sauce such as the one the op has in question would get maybe a week, my husband would eat it until it smelled or had stuff growing on it, i wouldn't touch it after a week max if i knew. condiments of course last longer. fruit and veggies are eaten quickly and tossed if they start to look icky.