mac & cheese left out overnight...can we still eat it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would eat it with the children...it should be fine re-heated

How woudl you serve the children? It is grill season . . .

[Anonymous]

Thanks, everyone. My plan is to give it a good bake and subject it to the smell and taste test before I offer it to my toddler, who is unlikely to eat any anyway.

[Anonymous]

How'd it turn out, OP?

[Anonymous]

OP can't come to the computer. she's busy puking and/or pooping her brains out due to food contamination...

[Anonymous]

actually curious if anyone got sick. after you've had e. coli, you become a little neurotic about food safety (take it from me). no way on earth would i have eaten that!! dairy sitting out over night. that is like food danger zone times 80 billion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, everyone. My plan is to give it a good bake and subject it to the smell and taste test before I offer it to my toddler, who is unlikely to eat any anyway.

The "sniff" test may work for letting you know when dairy and meat products have gone bad, but passing a sniff test doesn't mean the food is safe to eat. There are many items that haven't developed a bad smell but have remained at room temperature too long to be safe.

[Anonymous]

Basic questions/answers about dairy products and food safety--



http://www.canfightbac.org/cpcfse/en/cookwell/ask/dairy/#549

[Anonymous]

starchy foods left out overnight can be a problem, even i fthey have been cooked or will be cooked.

Bacillus cereus

B. cereus is found in dust, soil and spices. It can survive normal cooking as a heat-resistant spore, and then produce a large number of cells if the storage temperature is incorrect. Starchy foods such as rice, macaroni and potato dishes are most often involved. The spores may be present on raw foods, and their ability to survive high cooking temperatures requires that cooked foods be served hot or cooled rapidly to prevent the growth of this bacteria.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/poison.html

However, usually the illness isn't severe. Mild diarrhea, nausea withing 12-24 hours.

[Anonymous]

Do not rely on the sniff test, not all bacteria is going to smell. You'll probably be fine, but I wouldn't risk it with young kids.