If food has been left out for more than 2 hours, what should be done?

When food has been left out for more than two hours, it is crucial to discard it to prevent foodborne illness. This is because food that has been in the "danger zone," which is between 41°F and 135°F, can allow harmful bacteria to grow to unsafe levels. The general rule is that perishable foods should not remain in this temperature range for more than two hours, as the risk of foodborne pathogens increases significantly.

Refrigerating the food does not restore its safety, as bacteria may have multiplied during the time it was left out. Cooking the food to a high temperature or reheating it may kill some bacteria, but it does not eliminate the toxins that certain bacteria may have produced while the food was in the danger zone. Therefore, to ensure safety and avoid the risk of foodborne illnesses, it is best to discard food that has been left out for an extended period.