Leftovers can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator. Be sure to eat them within that time. After that, the risk of food poisoning increases. If you don’t think you’ll be able to eat the leftovers in four days, freeze them immediately.
We’ve compiled this list of vegan foods with the longest shelf life to help you know what to buy when you’re facing natural disasters or weather-related storms, quarantines, or preparing for a medical need. Foods that carry a higher risk of food poisoning are those with higher protein and moisture content, two characteristics that allow certain microbes to grow. How long food stays safe depends on a few factors, such as safe preparation, proper storage, and the type of food. Also, make sure you are rotating foods by the best-before date or if you make the food by the date you made it.
According to the FDA Food Code, all opened or prepared perishable foods should be thrown away after 7 days, at the latest. The two main causes of foodborne illness are improper cooking of food to a safe internal temperature and leaving food out at unsafe temperatures (see page 7).
