If food has been hygienically prepared, cooled quickly after cooking (or reheating) and stored cold, reheating more than once should not increase the risk of illness. However, prolonged storage and repeated reheating will affect the taste, texture, and sometimes the nutritional quality of foods.
This is because the more times you cool and reheat food, the higher the risk of food poisoning. Bacteria can multiply when cooled too slowly or reheated insufficiently.
What is the maximum amount of time allowed for safely reheating food?
The State Sanitary Code now requires that the entire mass of all cooked and refrigerated potentially hazardous food which is to be reheated must be reheated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or above within two hours, and held above 140 degrees Fahrenheit until served.
Foods that have been cooked and cooled should be reheated to at least 165 °F. Heat cooked, commercially vacuum-sealed, ready-to-eat foods, such as hams and roasts, to 140 °F. Reheat leftovers thoroughly to at least 165 °F. Reheat sauces, soups, and gravies to a boil.
Top 10 Surprising Foods You Should NEVER Reheat At All Costs (But Why?)
Why shouldn't you reheat food twice?
If you do reheat food, make sure the whole dish is steaming hot throughout. While almost all foods can be reheated numerous times, it is best practice to avoid reheating the same meal where possible. Each time food is cooled, stored and reheated, the likelihood of harmful bacteria multiplying increases.
Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.
The bottom line. In short, you can reheat your leftovers more than once, but they might not taste as good or have the original texture. Try to only reheat the leftovers you need for each specific meal to cut down on reduced food quality and potential food waste.
Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.
How it works. Food held between 5°C and 60°C for less than 2 hours can be used, sold or put back in the refrigerator to use later. Food held between 5°C and 60°C for 2-4 hours can still be used or sold, but can't be put back in the fridge. Food held between 5°C and 60°C for 4 hours or more must be thrown away.
Technically, you can reheat lasagna multiple times so long as you bring it up to an internal temperature of 165° each time. This temperature kills most bacteria that might be present in your leftovers. That said, the quality degrades with each reheat, so we suggest reheating lasagna one time only.
But it's important to note that reheating food comes with risks, too. Food must be heated until it is 82C (176F) throughout to kill any harmful bacteria – and because bacteria can still grow each time food cools back down, you shouldn't reheat a meal more than once.
When you put a ready-meal in the oven you are reheating it rather than cooking it. As cooked food should only be reheated once, any leftovers cannot be reheated again. So unless the pack has specific instructions for reheating, leftover ready meals should be eaten cold or not at all.
When cooked potatoes are left out at room temperature or warmed up for a second time, they can take a toxic turn for the worst. Why? Warm temperatures promote the growth of the rare bacteria, botulism, that is commonly found in potatoes.
After each reheating, leftovers will be safe in the fridge for an additional three to four days. Because the quality decreases each time food is reheated, it is best to reheat only the amount needed. Cooked foods that cannot be used within four days should be frozen for longer, safe storage.
Rice is more problematic than some other leftover foods as it may contain bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which survive some cooking processes . This bacterium is often the cause of food poisoning from reheated or cooked rice.
According to the FDA Food Code, all perishable foods that are opened or prepared should be thrown out after 7 days, maximum. No leftovers should survive in your fridge for longer than that. Some foods should be even be thrown away before the 7 day mark.
Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.
The FDA says you should typically only keep leftovers in the fridge for up to four days (womp womp), but Randy Worobo, Ph. D., professor of food microbiology at Cornell University, tells SELF that they can potentially last for up to a week depending on how they're handled.
There are no limits to how many times you can safely reheat leftover home-cooked meals. However, best practice is to limit the number of times you do so. More often than not, you wouldn't need to reheat one type of dish more than once. If you are making meals in bulk, separate and store them in individual portions.
Can you reheat potatoes? Yes, it is safe to reheat potatoes. However, they must be stored properly after initial cooking. If they are not, it can result in the growth of a bacterium known as Clostridium botulinum, which can cause a fatal disease, botulism.
How can you tell if food has enough bacteria to cause food poisoning?
Contaminated food will usually look, smell and taste normal. Food poisoning bacteria can grow and multiply on some types of food more easily than others. Potentially high-risk foods include: raw and cooked meat - such as chicken and minced meat, and foods containing them, such as casseroles, curries and lasagne.
Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away.
A general rule of thumb is that soup can be stored in the refrigerator for about three days, but you should always taste your dish before deciding to reheat. A clear, vegetable-based soup with some acidity, such as tomatoes, may last longer. Chicken soup usually lasts three to five days.
USDA recommends using cooked chicken within three to four days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within three to four days.
