How long can meat be left out?

Question

I bought some stuff at the grocery and left them in my car for a few hours. The meat I had bought when I got home was still "cool" to the touch. Do you think it's still good to consume? It was not frozen when I got it and it was about 60 degrees out when I left it.

Answer 1

Meat is good until about 60 - 65 , but if it smells alright you should be safe just make sure you cook it to well done .  

Answer 2

It will be fine to eat today but you must not put it back in the freezer by the way i am a buthcer.

Answer 3

ok if the meat was cool, like you said, it's fine to eat. but you really shouldn't be leaving it in the car for a few hours. you probably will get food poisoning. its probably just safe to throw it out.

Answer 4

I'm glad you decided not to take a chance and eat that stuff!  Our health is far more valuable than the price of groceries!

So many people think if it still feels cool, or doesn't smell bad, it safe to eat but that's just not true.

There are two completely different families of bacteria that can contaminate food: (1) pathogenic bacteria, the kind that cause foodborne illness, and (2) spoilage bacteria, the kind of bacteria that cause foods to deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures.

Pathogenic bacteria can grow rapidly in the "Danger Zone," the temperature range between 40 and 140 °F, but they do not generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food. In other words, one cannot tell that a pathogen is present.  Food that has been left too long out of the fridge may be dangerous to eat, but could look and smell fine.

Answer 5

I'd say yes,, but meat can acquire  and begen to grow bacteria and spoil soon after that. 2 hours left out should be fine, but not much more than that at those temperatures.