What should be done with food that has been left out of refrigeration for over two hours?

Food that has been left out of refrigeration for over two hours should be discarded to prevent foodborne illness because harmful bacteria can grow rapidly at room temperature. The temperature danger zone for food is between 41°F and 135°F, where bacteria can double in number in as little as 20 minutes. Once food has sat out for more than two hours, it is no longer considered safe to eat.

Refrigerating the food quickly does not mitigate the potential risks associated with the time it spent outside safe temperatures; harmful bacteria may have already multiplied to unsafe levels. Cooking the food thoroughly might kill some bacteria, but it doesn’t eliminate the toxins that certain bacteria produce which can still cause illness. Serving food immediately after it has been left out does not adequately address the risk, as the food has already been compromised during the time it was unrefrigerated. Discarding it is the safest choice to ensure that foodborne illnesses do not occur.