How long can milk stay out of the refrigerator before it spoils?!
How long can milk stay out of the refrigerator before it spoils?
We have our milk delivered to us, and we forgot to bring it in two days ago.
It's just been sitting in the milk box in the shade, and it hasn't been very warm here.
The highest it got to was probably 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and then it cooled down in the evening.
Is it spoiled? Is it ok to drink as long as we put it back in the refrigerator?
Answers:
The USDA says 4 hours above 40 degree Farenheit before you risk bacteria growth. If it's an economic issue, it can be heated to the pasturization point again to reduce bacteria growth. At this point it will probably have an aftertaste and would be mainly good for addition to cooking. Bottom line you risk some intestinal distress by consuming the milk now as it stands. Boil it, put it in a stew if you have to but don't risk your health
Source(s):
usda website
Yeah, it's toast. Don't risk it.
yes it gone please dont drink it you will get sick!
milk only stays good about 30 minues out of the frige, ANY food needs to stay below 40 degrees or above 141 degrees, or it will spoil , dont drink it throw it out sorry!
This is a simpler question to answer than it's being made out to be. We've all been programmed through zillions of years of evolution to spot things that are bad for us, for the detection of which we have sight, touch, and smell. Two days in the conditions you describe? You may well be on a sticky wicket. *But*, take the top off the bottle, stick your hooter over it and take a deep sniff. Anything acid, sour, bad? End of party. No? Now dip your fingertip in and *taste*. Not sure? Empty the bottle's contents into a saucepan and heat *slowly* to boiling point. It'll split on you if it's bad for sure. (There's no mistaking it when that happens.) Still no problem? Then boil it for a few minutes and then use in the kitchen as before. I don't like to drink boiled milk, so that's a use I wouldn't go for. But a rice pudding, that's another story, and that way good food isn't being wasted for no good reason. Use your own critical capabilities and *don't be frightened of food*. Believe me, if it's genuinely bad, your nose will know about it a long time before you consciously do!
In the conditions you describe I think its use may well be distinctly doubtful by now. But *test* it yourself. (You've got the real thing to hand, after all, and it's *your* food.) And then *you* decide. Use your judgement. You've got a lot more of it than you may think.
All the best.