Take-Out and Delivered Foods ake-Out and Delivered F elivered Foods Discard all perishable foods, such as meat,

poultry, eggs, and casseroles, left at room

temperature longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in

air temperatures above 90 °F. This includes

leftovers taken home from a restaurant.

Some exceptions to this rule are foods such

as cookies, crackers, bread, and whole fruits.

Whole roasts, hams, and turkeys should be

sliced or cut into smaller pieces or portions

before storing them in the refrigerator or

freezer. Turkey legs, wings, and thighs may

be left whole.

Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in shallow

containers. Wrap or cover the food.

REFRIGERATOR STORAGE AT 40 °F OR

BELOW

Cooked meat or poultry 3 to 4 days

Pizza 3 to 4 days

Luncheon meats 3 to 5 days 

Egg, tuna, and macaroni salads 3 to 5 days

Foods stored longer may begin to spoil 

or become unsafe to eat. Do not taste.

FREEZER STORAGE AT 0 °F OR BELOW

Cooked meat or poultry 2 to 6 months

Pizza 1 to 2 months

Luncheon meats 1 to 2 months

Salads made with mayonnaise do not freeze

well.

Foods kept frozen longer than

recommended storage times are safe but

may be drier and not taste as good.

WHEN IN DOUBT, THROWIT OUT!

Holiday Meals, Picnics, Tailgate

Parties, or Just a Busy Day

In today’s busy world, take-out and

delivered foods are experiencing runaway

popularity. Some foods are hot and some

are cold when purchased. Foods from fast

food restaurants are most often consumed

immediately. Take-out foods may be

purchased in advance for eating at a later

time, such as a party platter or a cooked

holiday meal. No matter what the occasion,

more and more people are relying on others

to prepare their food. 

Perishable foods can cause illness when

mishandled. Proper handling of the food

and the leftovers is essential to ensure the

food is safe for you to eat.

2-HOUR RULE

To keep hot foods safe, keep them at 140 °F

or above. Cold foods must be kept at 40 °F

or below. Bacteria grow rapidly between 40

and 140 °F. Discard all perishable foods

such as meat, poultry, eggs, and casseroles,

left at room temperature longer than 2

hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90 °F.

Keep HOT Food HOT! 

Keep COLD Food COLD!

Keep foods cold on the buffet table by nesting

serving dishes of food in bowls of ice. Use

small platters and replace them with fresh

refrigerated platters of food often, rather than

adding fresh food to a serving dish already on

the table.

When take-out or delivered food is purchased

cold for an outdoor event—like a picnic,

sporting event, or outdoor buffet—a cooler

with ice is a practical alternative to a

refrigerator. The cooler should be packed with

plenty of ice or frozen gel packs. Keep the

cooler in the shade when possible. 

Remember the 2-hour rule when food is

removed from the cooler. Discard all

perishable foods that have been left out of the

cooler longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in air

temperatures above 90 °F.

If you are not eating the take-out or delivered food 

immediately, follow these guidelines to make sure the food 

remains safe for you to eat at a later time.

Hot Take-Out or Delivered Food

Once food is cooked, it should be held hot, at

an internal temperature of 140 °F or above.

Just keeping food warm (between 40 and

140 °F) is not safe. Use a food thermometer to

monitor the internal temperature of the food.

A preheated oven, chafing dishes, preheated

warming trays, or slow cookers may be used.

If you plan to eat at a later time, take-out or

delivered food should be divided into smaller

portions or pieces, placed in shallow

containers, and refrigerated.

Cold/Refrigerated 

Take-Out or Delivered Food

Cold foods should be kept at 40 °F or below.

Refrigerate perishable foods as soon as possible,

always within 2 hours after purchase or

delivery. If the food is in air temperatures

above 90 °F, refrigerate within 1 hour.
United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

Food Safety Education Staff

For more food safety information, contact:

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

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

TTY: 1-800-256-7072

E-mail: mphotline.fsis@usda.gov

September 2003

Slightly revised June 2007

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits

discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of

race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political

beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities

who require alternative means for communication of program

information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact

USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director,

Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call

202-720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity

provider and employer.

Program Aid 1754

REHEATING MEALS

Reheat foods containing meat or poultry

to an internal temperature of at least

165 °F. Always use a food thermometer

to verify the internal temperature of

the food.

Reheat sauces, soups, and gravies to a boil.

If reheating in the oven, set oven

temperature no lower than 325 °F. 

Reheating in slow cookers and chafing

dishes is NOT recommended because

foods may stay in the “Danger Zone”

(between 40 and 140 °F) too long.

When reheating food in the microwave

oven, cover and rotate food for even

heating. Always allow standing time

before checking the internal temperature

of the food.

Consult your microwave oven owner’s

manual for recommended times and

power levels.

LOOK FOR THE USDA OR STATE

MARK OF INSPECTION

The inspection mark on the

packaging tells you the product

was prepared in a USDA or

State-inspected plant under

controlled conditions. Follow the

package directions for thawing,

reheating, and storing.

THAWING MEALS

Thaw the wrapped, cooked meat or

poultry on a tray in the refrigerator. Allow

about 24 hours for every 5 pounds. Small

packages of cooked stuffing, gravy,

potatoes, etc., will take less time to thaw

and can be taken out of the freezer and

put into the refrigerator at a later time.

Once the cooked meat or poultry and side

dishes thaw, plan to eat them within 3 to

4 days.

The food may be eaten cold or reheated.

Frozen food can be put directly into the

oven without thawing.

Follow These Guidelines for

Cooked, Refrigerated, or Frozen

Take-Out and Delivered Meals

Safe Handling of

Take-Out Foods Take-Out Foods Take-Out 

Foods