Food safety question

[redhenfarm]

I have a friend who has access to food distribution through a gleaners outlet. We were visiting there last Thursday and as we left she said she'd share some of the food with us. It was my understanding she had picked it up the day before. To my surprise this food was in the back of her car. She gave us eggs, a package of lunch meat, some bagels, I declined milk. It' in the mid 50's here, cooler at night. Bottom line is I don't feel it's safe to use those eggs, meat or dairy that have been sitting in a car for a day. Am I right? I also don't know how to tell her that this isn't a safe way to handle the food. It's my understanding meat/dairy, etc. should not be out of a refrigerator for more than 1 hour.

What do you think?

 

[Guest Guest]

[Homesteader]

I would be scared to eat it myself. Less than 2 hours out of refrigeration is the rule. Even less if it is really hot. A cooler with ice would give you more time as long as it is close to refrig temps. The only thing I would feel safe eating is the bagels (unless they are the type that are supposed to be refrigerated.)

[redhenfarm]

Thanks. That's what I thought. I'm going to have to think of a way to tell my friend this. Maybe I'll give her a styrofoam cooler and some blue ice.

I've decided to blow out the eggs and use the shells for ornaments. A friend told me to mix up the eggs with soil and stick it in the garden.

[ricardo]

I would have taken everything that she could have given me.

I would have left very little for her. Then I would have

mentioned getting the ice chest or tell her that you will

bring one over for her.

 

If your stomache gets used to eating foods with x% of

mold or bacteria in it, then wouldn't your body be used

to it?

 

 

[Freetobeme]

I doubt the eggs went bad if temps were that low. If a hen lays an egg first thing in the morning and we collect it in the evening, it has gone without refrigeration for a number of hours. I wouldn't expect the eggs to last very long though and I definitely wouldn't use any with cracked shells. Lunch meat I would toss. Bagels would be ok. Milk? Well, probably not. But pigs or chickens could have it.

[Guest Guest]

I've just returned from living in Africa. They store chicken eggs on the shelf. That's where you find them in the store, too. I learned to break each egg into a bowl individually.

[Guest Guest]

If the eggs aren't washed, they'd stay fresher longer. But those in egg boxes from the store *have been* washed.