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There's nothing to worry about. You won't get sick. Yes, there are all these warnings and rules out there, but really, most of us aren't such delicate little flowers. A piece of chicken or beef in a closed container or well wrapped isn't suddenly going to start multiplying deathly bacteria a few hours.
As I said, I do this ALL the time. I am 56 and have carted food to work for lunch for decades and not refrigerated it once I got there. I've never gotten sick.
Just my opinion from my experience, pretty much anything you bring with you won't spoil in 4 or even 8 hours. The need for refrigeration is vastly exaggerated. I bring lunch all the time and just leave it next to my desk. A cooked piece of chicken, some rice, veggies, etc will not go bad that quick. Quality deli meats last quite well too because of the salt and nitrates. Pasta, rice or couscous salads are great. Using commercial mayonnaise is no problem for brown bag lunches. It's really only a problem if you use home made mayo with raw eggs. Most cooked meats, deli meats, and raw or cooked vegetables will keep several hours without refrigeration.
My goodness. I made my son all kinds of sandwiches, chicken, roast beef, and everything in between, for his school lunches - and he had no cold pack or anything. Somehow, he survived.
So, as long as you don't get sick, it's safe? Could there be a cumulative effect on health as a result of regularly eating unrefrigerated cooked food (exposed to air for hours) for many years?
No!
You might get sick - NOT from the un-refrigerated lunches, but from salmonella. Then you will get sick quick, but not years later.
Like others said, years ago, kids went to school with their lunches and they were not packed in those fancy coolers, just into a paper bag. No one got sick!
In fact, they were more resistant to any kind of bacteria than the overprotected kids nowadays.
No!
You might get sick - NOT from the un-refrigerated lunches, but from salmonella. Then you will get sick quick, but not years later.
Like others said, years ago, kids went to school with their lunches and they were not packed in those fancy coolers, just into a paper bag. No one got sick!
In fact, they were more resistant to any kind of bacteria than the overprotected kids nowadays.
If I remember right, most of my lunches were either peanut butter and jelly or cold cut sandwiches which were very salty.
^^^ Well, I remember getting all kinds of food. From sandwiches with cold cuts, to salads based on mayo, to leftovers from a dinner, to whatever was available. It was safe to eat, and I was not getting sick.
Mind that it was in 60-70's, in communistic Poland. No fancy food, no fancy lunchboxes. No one got sick. All kids survived
... and NO cumulative effect on health as a result of regularly eating unrefrigerated cooked food! Obviously!
For home-cooked food, what are the least likely to get spoiled within several hours (from leaving home in the morning to lunch break in as late as mid afternoon), in room temperature, without refrigeration? (am talking about cooked food only, so excluding canned food, raw vegetables such as salad, etc.)
E.g. I suppose cooked vegetables are safer than meat products. What about scrambled eggs? (hard boiled eggs should last longer than scrambled eggs I suppose?) What about spaghetti or noodles?
Japanese style bentos (homemade) fit the bill. They are designed to last at room temp for several hours, and can even handle hot humid environments.
The key is to make sure you close up your container after the food as cooled down (e.g. let the lunch cool to room temp before putting on the lid). Do not grab a bento from the fridge and run, either, as the condensation will encourage spoilage. Excess moisture is your enemy.
For home-cooked food, what are the least likely to get spoiled within several hours (from leaving home in the morning to lunch break in as late as mid afternoon), in room temperature, without refrigeration? (am talking about cooked food only, so excluding canned food, raw vegetables such as salad, etc.)
E.g. I suppose cooked vegetables are safer than meat products. What about scrambled eggs? (hard boiled eggs should last longer than scrambled eggs I suppose?) What about spaghetti or noodles?
I never refrigerate my lunch. I leave it at my desk and then I eat it. The trick is not to eat food that's on the edge of spoiling.
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