Caregivers who prepare meals for loved ones often have leftovers. To prevent food waste and—more importantly, foodborne illness—follow these food safety and leftovers storage tips.

Remember the Two-Hour Rule: Refrigerate perishable items within two hours of coming out of the oven or refrigerator. After two hours, perishable food enters the ”Danger Zone” (between 40 °F and 140 °F), where bacteria can multiply quickly and cause food to become unsafe. Perishable food should be discarded if left out for longer than two hours, so refrigerate or freeze items to prevent food waste.

Use Shallow Containers: After you breakdown your meal into smaller portions, store leftover food in shallow containers in the refrigerator so items may cool quickly.

Freeze or Consume Within Four Days: You have up to four days to store your perishable leftovers in a refrigerator that is chilled at 40 °F or below. If you want to keep leftovers longer, freeze them within that four-day period. Frozen food stays safe indefinitely, though the quality may decrease over time. For best quality, eat within six months.

Reheat to 165 °F: Make sure your reheated leftovers reach 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Reheat sauces, soups and gravies safely by bringing them to a rolling boil.

Microwave Food Safely: When reheating in the microwave, cover and rotate the food for even heating. Arrange food items evenly in a covered microwave safe glass or ceramic dish and add some liquid, if needed. Because microwaves have cold spots, check the internal temperature of the food in several places with a food thermometer after allowing a resting time.

To learn more about leftovers storage tips, visit Leftovers and Food Safety.

If you have food safety questions, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or email MPHotline@usda.gov.

Food Safety Resources