Exact day to throw out Thanksgiving leftovers after holiday feast or you risk food poisoning
heads of leftovers are already beginning to sneak into people’s heads as families throughout America get set to feast on their favorite Thanksgiving recipes.
There will almost certainly be leftover Thanksgiving food in the refrigerator after a night of football, family rumors, and laughter.
As a result, in the days preceding the holiday weekend, internet searches for the refrigerator shelf life of Thanksgiving leftovers have increased.
According to the Mayo Clinic, leftover turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days.
The medical group went on to say, “The risk of food poisoning increases after that.”
The final day to safely consume leftovers kept in the refrigerator is the Monday following Thanksgiving, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Read more in The U.S. Sun
Food that is kept in the refrigerator for longer than four days produces germs known as spoiling microorganisms, according to Virginia Tech postdoctoral associate of food safety Minh Duong, who spoke to ABC affiliate WFAA.
The food starts to smell bad because of the bacteria on the leftovers.
As Duong told the site, “When in doubt, throw it out,”
“It’s not worth making yourself sick or your loved ones sick just to have that extra Thanksgiving meal.”
For optimal quality, the USDA recommends that leftovers that are frozen be consumed or repurposed within two to six months.
“If you want to keep leftovers longer, freeze them within that four-day period,” the United States Department of Agriculture stated.
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“Frozen food stays safe indefinitely, though the quality may decrease over time (best quality if eaten within six months).”
The USDA advises dividing leftovers into smaller parts and freezing or refrigerating them in shallow, covered containers to speed up cooling.
The USDA advises discarding any turkey, stuffing, or gravy that has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours, or for one hour in temps above 90 degrees.
Turkey leftovers that have been properly refrigerated can be reheated or consumed cold.
For those who enjoy reheated turkey, the USDA advises heating the meat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees and lowering the oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees.
If you plan on reheating your turkey in a microwave, the USDA recommends covering the food, rotating it for even heating, and allowing standing time.
To properly eat the turkey, people need to make sure its interior temperature reaches 165 degrees.
How the holidays affect your health
2,000 people were surveyed to find out how the holidays affect their healthy habits.
24% of Americans are still carrying extra weight as of the end of 2023, according to new statistics released by Talker Research on behalf of Herbalife.
This is roughly 10 pounds on average.
Half of Americans surveyed said they’re less healthy than usual at the end of the year – and 43% said they postpone eating healthily at the end of the year.
The survey showed that 53% of people have broken a diet at the end of the year, while 36% admitted it was because they were tempted by holiday food like Thanksgiving leftovers.
According to 62% of respondents, people enjoy the holidays more when they are not preoccupied about their weight or healthy lifestyle choices.
Overall, 37% of respondents said they’re more likely to give in to temptation this year versus other years, and it was even more true for younger generations as 52% of Gen Z said so, versus only 38% of Gen X.
They were also more likely to give into temptation this year: overall, 37% of respondents were more likely to give in this year than other years, and this increased for younger generations 52% of Gen Z, versus only 38% of Gen X.
Despite falling out of healthy eating habits at the end of the year, 65% of surveyed Americans plan to start the new years with healthier behavior.
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