Why last night’s leftovers could give you food poisoning

TUCKING into last night’s lasagne or stir fry may be a good way to prevent food waste... but it could be bad for our health.

The way we store and reheat leftovers could be putting us at risk of food poisoning, experts have warned.

While meat and dairy are known to carry bugs such as campylobacter, salmonella and listeria, other seemingly harmless foods can also make us ill if they are not stored properly.

Leaving cooked rice at room temperature gives the bacteria bacillus cereus the chance to flourish and produce dangerous toxins, the Good Housekeeping Institute said. Experts there have issued a food safety guide, warning: ‘We all love leftovers, but they can be a health risk if not stored and reheated correctly. You need to know how to make sure that your money-saving dinner isn’t making you sick.’

One of their practical tips is to regularly stir food that is being microwaved so it is not piping hot in parts but cold in others.

After cooking a meal, they advise that food be transferred into a shallow dish to help leftovers cool quickly.

It shouldn’t be left out of the fridge for more than two hours or be reheated twice, as this can lead to bacteria growth.

Another tip is to divide leftovers into individual portions, especially if freezing, as then it’s not necessary to defrost too much for a small meal. As part of the drive to prevent food waste, supermarkets are being told to add a blue fridge logo to food packs to help reduce the million tonnes of food waste binned in Ireland every year. The move is part of a simplification of labels to encourage us to keep fridges colder, as two in three are too warm.

The best way to store perishable food is in the original pack in a fridge colder than 5C. This simple step adds three days to the life of many foods.

Experts also advocate reducing the use of date labels. They say a ‘use by’ date should appear only when safety is an issue, eg, with fresh meat and fish. Otherwise, only a ‘best before’ date is needed. Food that is older than this date is still safe to eat.