It’s been days since your Thanksgiving dinner and that means you’ve probably had several rounds of turkey feast leftovers by now. But if you’re fridge is still full of food from your holiday feast, you’ve probably wondered exactly how long it’s safe to eat.
To simplify things and keep us from getting sick, FoodSafety.gov has put together a handy guide to consuming leftover Thanksgiving food. It all starts with getting those leftovers in the fridge within two hours of serving, so let’s hope you did that back on Thursday. It’s important not to leave food sitting out longer because as the FDA points out, “harmful bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature,” so better safe than sorry.
As for how long it’s safe to eat those leftovers after they hit the fridge, both the FDA and foodsafety.gov advise eating your Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings within four days, which makes your deadline for leftovers tomorrow, Tuesday, November 27th.
But that’s just a guideline and if your food starts to smell funky before then, the FDA says trash it. FDA consumer educator Marjorie Davidson advises, “A good rule to follow is, when in doubt, throw it out.”
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