Thanksgiving Leftovers: How Long You Can Safely Keep Them?

GEORGIA — You've stuffed yourself with Thanksgiving turkey, pie and all kinds of tasty side dishes. If everything sat out on the counter for several hours, danger may be lurking.

The bacteria Clostridium perfringens grows in cooked foods left at room temperature. It is the second most common bacterial cause of food poisoning.

Outbreaks occur most often in November and December and have been linked to foods served during the holidays, such as turkey and roast beef, according to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, based in Atlanta.

The key to preventing such outbreaks: Put your leftovers away quickly.

Leftovers shouldn't stay at room temperature for longer than two hours. So after you're done eating your meal, getting the food put away should be a priority. Experts vary on how long food can stay in a refrigerator, with some saying food needs to be tossed after four days, and others giving items seven days.

The CDC says you should refrigerate leftovers at 40°F or colder within two hours of preparing. Cut up the turkey or big portions of beef for refrigeration so they will cool quickly. Also, all leftovers should be reheated to at least 165°F.

When you're putting away leftovers, divide them into small containers, preferably ones that are airtight, according to USA Today.

Once the leftovers are put away in the refrigerator, you have only three to four days to eat leftovers before they become risky.

Then it's time to freeze them, Lisa Yakas, a senior project manager at NSF International, told USA Today. NSF International develops health standards and certifications for food, water and consumer products.

If stored in a freezer, leftovers can last three to four months. You should label the food with an expiration date, to help you keep track of it, Yakas said.

According to the FDA Food Code, all perishable foods that are opened or prepared should be thrown out after seven days. No leftovers should survive in your refrigerator for longer than that.

Food poisoning is usually short-lived, but for vulnerable members of your family — such as the young or the elderly — it could be life-threatening.

In general, the CDC estimates that roughly one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases each year.

The most common symptoms of food poisoning are:

• Upset stomach
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever

Hospitals do see a rise this time of year of patients with vomiting and diarrhea, said Freda Lyon, vice president of emergency services for Wellstar Health Systems — owner of 11 metro Atlanta hospitals. But sometimes it can be hard to decide if it's a virus or food poisoning, she said.

Unless, of course, the whole family ate leftovers and are sick.