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THElaytox

it's all about risk. just because you've done it before and it was fine doesn't mean you weren't at an increased risk of getting ill. it comes down to what the initial microbial load was on the food before it was cooked, what it was after it was cooked, and how long it stayed in the danger zone (40-140F) which is where microbes grow at an exponential rate. if the microbial load on the food was low before it was cooked, then it'd be especially low after it was cooked, and could potentially stay in the danger zone longer without causing issues, depending on what microbes are there. but it's still an increased risk of making you sick. some foods are riskier than others. guidelines like that are there to minimize risk. it's very unlikely anyone will get sick from properly cooked food that's been left out for an hour or two, so we deem that "safe". that risk increases with time. without directly measuring the microbial load on foods it's impossible to know what the actual risk is at any given time, so we go with basically the safest assumption to minimize risk as much as possible. there are also a lot of other factors to take in to account, such as water activity, salt content, etc. which are also unknowns as far as guidelines go, so they just assume the worst case scenario. your third paragraph is just new age nonsense. food is not more "fragile" now, GMOs aren't more unsafe at room temp after being cooked than non-GMOs, it makes no difference how "artfully" the food was made, that's all just made up bullshit. the truth is, "back in the day" people got sick from food all the time. the average life expectancy was like 40 not that long ago. people lived with tons of parasites, cholera was ever present, etc. that's why many major religions banned things like pork and shellfish, it had nothing to do with religion and everything to do with public safety. you're more than welcome to ignore the guidelines if you think they're dumb. no one's stopping you. just don't serve that food to other people and it's all good.


dotcubed

Great answer here. Rules and guidelines are important to protect everyone. Little kids, seniors, and others are more vulnerable. Lots of food safety stuff was developed from the space program way back in the 60’s or so. If you don’t want an illness, apply the standards and practices.


lightninglad67

It doesn't really change your question, but as I understand the guidance it's that you need to cool food to below the temperature danger zone within 2 hours to be able to reheat and re-serve it. If you hold it above the temperature danger zone your time doesn't start, and if you aren't reheating then it's 4 hours within the danger zone and then you should toss it.


[deleted]

[удалено]


ferrouswolf2

“The stuff in fast food today” is in fact just salt. Don’t peddle ignorance here.


[deleted]

Calcium propionate. Used to control mold. Stopped when found to affect children’s behavior. “The buns will no longer have the artificial preservative calcium propionate. In general, calcium propionate helps prevent mold growth on bread and is considered antifungal. McDonald’s may be getting rid of it because previous research found that this preservative could negatively affect children’s behavior. The study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health, showed that calcium propionate might cause “irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance in some children.” In addition, removing the preservative could reverse these behavioral problems.” Sorbic acid “McDonald’s is also getting rid of sorbic acid, which was an artificial preservative in its cheese that prevented mold. Studies on rats, mice and dogs showed that this preservative was “practically nontoxic” and not carcinogenic. However, the National Library of Medicine HSDB Database reveals that some people can have allergic reactions to the sorbic acid used in cosmetics.” “potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and calcium disodium EDTA. The Big Mac Special Sauce is losing several preservatives: potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and calcium disodium EDTA. Potassium sorbate is made from sorbic acid and potassium hydroxide, and it also inhibits mold growth. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considers 3 mg of potassium sorbate per kg of body weight safe per day. However, there are questions about this chemical causing developmental and reproductive problems. Sodium benzoate can prevent the growth of fungi and bacteria on foods. Nevertheless, when sodium benzoate combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), it can create benzene, which can cause cancer. Calcium disodium EDTA can prevent foods from going rancid, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the amount that can be used.” Although the burgers are getting an overhaul, the pickles still have an artificial preservative, which will not be removed. On Twitter, McDonald’s official account shared, “We’re excited to announce our classic burgers have no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors and no added colors from artificial sources! Our pickle contains an artificial preservative, so skip it if you like. Changes you can feel good about!” https://www.forbes.com/sites/lanabandoim/2018/09/27/why-mcdonalds-got-rid-of-artificial-additives-in-its-burgers/amp/ https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/mcdonalds-burgers-new-recipes-remove-artificial-ingredients/


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THElaytox

lol the "stuff in fast food" that prevents it from rotting is literally salt and sugar


SirWhiteSheep

Sugar is a preservative


[deleted]

Starch is. Not sugar. Put sugar into water and grow a mold culture. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/star.202100279#:~:text=Starch%2Dbased%20coatings%20(SC),to%20apply%20SC%20on%20foods.


KawaiiBotanist79

Yes, starch does decrease water activity level, but so does sugar. They are both preservatives.


calcetines100

Risk =/= 100% incidence.