How long are leftovers good for? Your guide to safe holiday nibbling

globalnews.ca:

As much as big, hearty meals are part of the holidays for many, so are leftovers.

One specialist is advising Canadians to take precautions to ensure food poisoning doesn’t spoil your post-holiday cheer — especially following a slew of foodborne illnesses recorded this year.

Reports of salmonella outbreaks in connection with cantaloupes sold in at least nine provinces began in November. Since then, six deaths and 153 cases have been confirmed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also recalled ice cream, chocolate-covered raisins, and a number of fresh-cut fruit and enoki mushroom brands this year due to various bacteria contaminations.

While it may be tempting to hold onto leftovers as long as possible, neglecting proper food safety can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramping, diarrhea and even a fever.

If you’re wondering how long your leftovers will be good for, here is your safety guide to stay merry all season.

Before worrying about whether leftovers have gone bad, microbiologist Jason Tetro says it’s important to start off on the right foot and store the food properly.

“Once you have cooked your meal, then it’s going to cool down and as soon as it cools down, there’s a good likelihood that it will be touched. And when it gets touched, there will be contamination with bacteria,” Tetro told Global News.

He says the key is storing the leftovers in a cool place where the bacteria won’t grow rapidly, such as a fridge or freezer, as long as it’s 4 C or lower.

Tetro also advises against serving food in the same containers, boxes or bags they were originally purchased in.

“What’s going to happen is you’ll introduce your human bacterial contamination into