Transcript
Sanjay Gupta (0:03)
Welcome to Paging Dr. Gupta. This is the podcast where I get to answer your health questions, and you've been sending a lot in based on what you've been saying. We've got a lot to talk about, and Kira, one of our producers, is here. What's our first question?
Kira (0:18)
All right. Hey, Sanjay. First up, we've got a question from John in San Diego, California, and this is actually something that I'm so curious about. So let's hear what he has to say.
John (0:29)
Hey, Sanjay, this is John. I just finished listening to your Our Food Keeps Getting Recalled episode, and I had a question. My wife and her family tend to think that when food is cooked and warm on the stove that it has to be left out until it's cool to the touch before it can be put into the refrigerator. Otherwise, it might develop some bacteria or illness. And I just wanted to know, is that valid? It seems like it's more dangerous to leave it out than it is to put it away. So I just wanted to confirm and or deny. Is it effective to leave food out when it's hot or warm before putting it into the refrigerator, allowing it time to cool down? Thank you. I love the show. Take care.
Sanjay Gupta (1:16)
All right, John, first of all, a great question. I have to tell you, after that podcast aired in November of last year, we got a lot of questions and a lot of comments about food recalls overall and the best way to store your food. So let me answer the question directly, and then I'll give you a little bit of background. First of all, this is a common food safety myth, but at the same time, it's something that a lot of people debate. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the fda, it is safe to move even piping hot food directly to the refrigerator. Okay, so that's the answer. You can move very hot food directly to the refrigerator. You do want to make sure that you're not over packing in the container and that there's enough space within the container for cold air to circulate around it. The key concern is not the heat itself, but preventing bacterial growth. You should not let food sit out for more than two hours. That's the general rule. Because at room temperature, bacteria can multiply quickly. They say every 20 minutes, the number of bacteria can double. So leaving food out for too long gives bacteria a prime opportunity to grow and increases the risk of foodborne illness. Keep in mind a lot of the foodborne illnesses. As much as we talk about the grocery stores and restaurants, a lot of them occur at home as well. So where did this idea come about that you should let your food cool first before putting in the refrigerator? Well, it's actually a relic of the 19th century. This is when people used ice boxes instead of modern refrigerators. These wooden, metal lined boxes relied on large blocks of ice to keep the food cool. If you put hot food inside, you would simply melt the ice faster, and that meant you had to replace it more often, which wasn't cheap. But today's refrigerators, they got chemical refrigerants, they got evaporator fans, they can handle hot food much more efficiently. By the way, there's a great place to read about this. It's called Refrigerator the Story of Cool in the Kitchen from Helen Peavett. P E A V I T T. If you're interested in this, you should take a look at her work now. I think the real issue, though, comes about if you store a large amount of hot food, like an entire pot of soup, for example, in one container. If it takes longer than 2 hours to cool before 40 degrees, bacteria can still thrive. So to prevent that, maybe divide large portions of the hot food into smaller, shallower containers. That'll help them cool faster. If possible, cover them only loosely at first. Let some of the steam escape before sealing tight. And do keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees or lower for optimal food safety. One thing I will also point out, avoid putting hot food directly into plastic containers because the heat can cause them to leach harmful chemicals. Glass containers in this case would be a safer option. And if you plan to freeze hot food, let it cool in the fridge first before transferring it to the freezer. That can help maintain the quality of the food for when you go to reheat your leftovers. So, John, you don't need to wait. Is the answer for your food to cool completely down before refrigerating it. The key is to not leaving it out for more than two hours. The quicker you can get it into the fridge, the safer it will be. Great question. I hope that clears things up. Now, are your microwave safe, quote unquote microwave safe, and quote dishwasher safe? Plastic containers really as safe as you think they might be? We're going to tackle that right after the break.