There are certain foods and eatables that if left out at room temperature for longer periods of time can still be safe to eat and consume. However, pizza is not included in that list of foods. Pizza is a quite popular one amongst all the fast-food dishes and people love to consume and enjoy it on night outs. However, bringing it over to home and leaving it out of the fridge at room temperature for longer periods of time can be a bad idea.
This is because the ingredients mostly used in pizzas like cheese, meat, and dough, etc are prone to going stale in a short while if left out at room temperature. The packaging the pizza is brought in is also not fit for keeping it fresh and safe when left out for a long period of time. It’s just a mere cardboard box and has no insulation whatsoever to keep the pizza protected at room temperature.
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What Is the Cause?
The reason that pizza cannot be left out at room temperature for a longer period of time is that the ingredients in pizza can produce and fester food-borne bacteria. These bacteria are usually pathogenic and can be hazardous and a risk to your health. These bacteria are produced in an environment having a temperature of 40-140 °F. Room temperature also falls within this range and hence aids in the production and growth of these bacteria.
These bacteria usually do not affect the appearance or smell of the food product that they fester in and therefore the pizza might look and smell perfectly all right. You may even try a bite and find no difference in the taste as well. However, do not be fooled as the pathogenic foodborne bacteria may very well be in there regardless and could give you food poisoning or any other infection.
The Time Frame
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Room Temperature
The time that the pizza can be left out at room temperature is two hours. Beyond that, eating a left-out pizza can be risky. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the pizza left out at room temperature is only safe to eat within two hours. After that, it might be infected with undetected foodborne bacteria and can prove harmful. Hence, it’s better to throw out the pizza that has been sitting out at room temperature for longer than two hours.
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Refrigerator
If you keep the leftover pizza inside the fridge, then it can be consumed for up to four days according to USDA and FDA. After four days, even the refrigerated pizza is prone to foodborne bacteria and not entirely safe to consume.
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Freezer
However, if you freeze the leftover pizza, it can be safe to eat it within a month or two. It is preferable if the frozen pizza is not consumed beyond one month of it being in the freezer.
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