Casserole with meat and dairy sat out 18 hours @room temperature. Can I boil it and still eat it?

Vicki
  • Posted by: Vicki
  • November 26, 2013
  • 1681 views
  • 3 Comments

3 Comments

Maedl November 26, 2013
Pitch it out!
 
hardlikearmour November 26, 2013
I certainly wouldn't. Too much risk of toxins from bacteria that are not necessarily going to be destroyed by heat. Staph. aureus is a commonly found bacteria (it likely lives on your skin/hair/mucous membranes), but when in high protein food kept at room temperature it produces a heat stable toxin that causes typical food poisoning symptoms.
 
Kenzi W. November 26, 2013
Please start over! 18 hours is too long in the danger zone, and it feels like boiling a casserole would ruin the dish. It's sad, but I think something else will have to be for dinner!
 
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