I’ve got 

to tell you 

what happened 

to my dad. 

On Saturday, my mom 

prepared chicken for 

us and we all ate lunch.

After eating lunch, it was almost time for my baseball practice! We all rushed 

out of the house, but Mom forgot to put the cooked chicken in the refrigerator!
When my dad came home, 

the chicken was still out 

on the kitchen table. 

Dad was hungry, so he 

made a sandwich with 

the leftover chicken. 

One hour after eating the 

chicken, my dad’s stomach 

started to bother him, but 

he was tired and decided to 

go to sleep.
During the night, 

my dad was throw-

ing up, had stomach 

cramps, and went 

to the bathroom a 

lot. The next day, 

we drove him to 

the doctor. 

My dad told the 

doctor about the 

cooked chicken 

he ate last night 

that was left 

on the table. The 

doctor said he 

probably got sick 

from the food.
My mom felt badly and told 

the doctor that it was her 

fault because she forgot

to place the chicken in the 

refrigerator.

The doctor told my mom: “What 

caused the problem was dangerous 

bacteria that grow very fast on 

food left out of the refrigerator for 

more than 2 hours. You cannot tell 

if food is still safe just by looking 

at it because you can’t see, smell, or 

taste harmful bacteria. Next time, 

refrigerate chicken within 2 hours

after cooking it.” 
My dad got well in a 

couple of days, but the 

doctor explained that some

people could get more seriously 

ill than others and could even 

end up in the hospital!

Young kids, pregnant women, 

and older adults, like our 

grandparents, are all part of 

the group that has a greater

chance of getting sick from 

bacteria in food.

She also gave us some 

information on how to handle food 

at home and how to store 

food safely.

Look!
USDA’s Refrigerator Storage Chart

Cold Storage: These time limits will help keep refrigerated food from spoiling 

or becoming unsafe to eat. Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, 

recommended freezer storage times are for quality only.

Food type Product Refrigerator(40 °F or below) Freezer(0 °F or below)

Hamburger & 

Other Ground Meats

Ground turkey, chicken, pork, veal 1–2 days 3–4 months

Hamburger & stew meat 1–2 days 3–4 months

Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork

Steaks 3–5 days 6–12 months

Chops 3–5 days 4–6 months

Roasts 3–5 days 4–12 months

Fresh Poultry Chicken, turkey, duck — whole 1–2 days 1 year

Chicken, turkey, duck — pieces 1–2 days 9 months

Cooked Poultry

Fried chicken 3–4 days 4 months

Cooked poultry casseroles 3–4 days 4–6 months

Chicken nuggets, patties 3–4 days 1–3 months

Meat Leftovers

Cooked meat & meat casseroles 3–4 days 2–3 months

Gravy & meat broth 3–4 days 2–3 months

Ham

Ham, fully cooked — whole 7 days 1–2 months

Ham, fully cooked — half 3–5 days 1–2 months

Ham, fully cooked — slices 3–4 days 1–2 months

Canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated”, opened

Canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated”, unopened

3–5 days

6–9 months

1–2 months

Don’t freeze

Canned, shelf stable 2 years at room temperature

Hot Dogs & 

Luncheon Meats

Hot Dogs, opened package

unopened package

1 week

2 weeks

1–2 months

1–2 months

Luncheon meats, opened package 

unopened package

3–5 days

2 weeks

1–2 months

1–2 months

Bacon & Sausage

Bacon 7 days 1 month

Sausage, raw — from 

pork, beef, turkey, chicken 1–2 days 1–2 months

Smoked breakfast links, patties 7 days 1–2 months

Frozen Dinners 

& Casseroles Keep frozen until ready to serve 3–4 months

Soups & Stews Vegetable or meat added 3–4 days 2–3 months

Eggs

Fresh, in shell 3–5 weeks Don’t freeze

Hard cooked 7 days Doesn’t 

freeze well

Egg substitutes, liquid, opened

liquid, unopened

3 days

10 days

Don’t freeze

1 year

Salads Store-prepared (or homemade) 

egg, chicken, ham, turkey, macaroni salads 3–5 days Doesn’t 

freeze well

Mayonnaise (Commercial) Refrigerate after opening 2 months Don’t freeze

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854)

Visit “AskKaren” at AskKaren.gov

When in doubt, throw it out!
Follow these 

four simple steps to 

prevent foodborne 

illness, and

Be Food Safe!

Wash your hands with warm water and soap 

for 20 seconds and wash surfaces often 

with hot, soapy water.

Cook food to safe internal temperatures. Use 

a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. To find a list of internal temperatures, 

visit FSIS’ Web site, at www.fsis.usda.gov.

Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood away 

from ready-to-eat food, fruits, and vegetables.

Place leftovers in the refrigerator, at 40 oF 

(4.4 oC) or below, within 2 hours; 1 hour if 

temperatures are above 90 oF (32.2 oC).

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

August 2009

United States Department of Agriculture 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

www.fsis.usda.gov

Clean

Separate

Cook

Chill