General Question

Nevada83's avatar

Is pizza never taken out of the box and unwrapped safe to bake and eat after several hours?

Asked by Nevada83 (952points) July 10th, 2020

In my brilliance, (sarcasm), I came home from the store and I set my groceries down and I went to cool down for a couple minutes. Well, a couple minutes turned into several hours. Whoops. Would foodborne illnesses still remain on the pepperoni pizza (the rest of the groceries are non-perishable) after baking if they existed in the first place?

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15 Answers

Inspired_2write's avatar

If in doubt throw it out, I say.
Condensation might affect it in that bacteria has a place to grow.

Smashley's avatar

How many hours, here? If it passes the smell test, go for it. I’d draw a line if it’s been more than 8 hours in a house with ac or 6 anywhere warmer.

Foodborne illness is real, but happens more with bad hand washing, cross contamination and undercooking than just vegetables, cheese, cooked meats and dough left out for a while.

stanleybmanly's avatar

Line a pie pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the slices you are prepared to devour on the sheet or pan. Refrigerate the remainder. Set your oven timer for 10 minutes. Bon Apetit.

KNOWITALL's avatar

Nah, a few hours won’t hurt. Just cheese, sauce and precooked pepperoni. I’d have died in college if that could hurt you.

janbb's avatar

No – it will be fine.

elbanditoroso's avatar

Probably OK but only one way to be sure.

LadyMarissa's avatar

I don’t make a habit of doing it, but I have had a similar situation & I cooked & ate that puppy with NO adverse effects!!! I’m also assuming that you live in an air conditioned place & several hours means no more than 4.

I also use the “when in doubt throw it out” method, but I also choose to keep the doubt to a minimum. I tend to use the sniff & taste method as well. I’d open the box, cut the wrapper, sniff & IF it doesn’t smell rancid, I’d cook it & then taste a small bite. IF the small bite taste OK, I’d gobble up the rest of it!!!

johnpowell's avatar

I’m with KNOWITALL here. I would be dead many times over if this could kill you.

And normally I am very weird about food going bad. But pizza after a few hours isn’t a problem. Nuke it for sixty seconds if you are worried.

And I have actually got food poising from pizza before. But that was at a actual pizza place and I ate the pizza there right away. My god that was a nightmare. It took a few days to be able to feel comfortable eating pizza again. I looove pizza.

Inspired_2write's avatar

Located this:
Sadly, if your pizza has been sitting out for more than two hours, it is not safe to eat. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), all perishable foods, including pizza, are not safe to eat after sitting at room temperature overnight. This rule holds true whether your pizza has meat on it or not.

How Long Is My Leftover Pizza Safe to Eat? – Spoon Universityspoonuniversity.com › Lifestyle

Inspired_2write's avatar

Will reheating pizza kill bacteria?
Dr. Bowser: If the pizza is left unrefrigerated overnight, the toxins that may be produced by bacteria will not be inactivated by heating to 165°F. The bacteria will die, but their toxins will remain.Apr 1, 2013

FAQs on Reheating Food: Pizza, Chicken, and Everything Else .

janbb's avatar

I assume she’s made he decision so would like an update!

Tropical_Willie's avatar

It is not just the germs growing it is the toxins they produce. After they start growing; they make nasty things.

The question I have is how many hours ? It started out frozen right ?

Nevada83's avatar

I baked it anyway and ate it, so I’m fine LOL

Darth_Algar's avatar

I’ve left cooked pizza out overnight, ate it the next day and been alright. A frozen one, sat out for a few hours, should be fine once cooked.

Strauss's avatar

In my younger wilder days I munched on a few “morning after” cold (room temperature) pizza slices, never once got sick.

Maybe it was because they tended to be washed down with warm (room temperature) beer!~

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