What should be done if food is left out in the danger zone for over 2 hours?

When food is left out in the danger zone, which ranges between 41°F and 135°F, it becomes susceptible to the growth of harmful bacteria. The general rule in food safety is that food should not remain in this temperature range for more than two hours. If it has been longer than that, the risk of foodborne illness significantly increases, and the safest action is to discard the food. This ensures that no one unknowingly consumes food that could be hazardous to their health.

Refrigerating the food immediately would not eliminate the potential risk from pathogens that may have multiplied while the food was sitting out. Similarly, heating the food to a high temperature does not guarantee that all bacteria or toxins that may have developed can be effectively neutralized. Checking for spoilage, while a useful practice for assessing freshness, is not a reliable method for determining food safety after a prolonged exposure in the danger zone. Therefore, discarding the food is the most responsible and safest choice.