What should you do if you find food that has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours?

When food has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours, it falls into a safety risk zone where harmful bacteria can multiply rapidly. In this situation, throwing the food away is the safest option to prevent foodborne illness. Bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli can thrive on food left out, and reheating may not eliminate all toxins produced by these bacteria.

Consuming food that has been left out, regardless of its smell or appearance, poses significant health risks as you cannot visually assess contamination. Therefore, discarding the food is the best choice to ensure food safety and protect public health. Other methods, like cooling it down quickly and refrigerating, do not negate the fact that it has already been in a dangerous temperature range for too long, thus increasing the risk of illness.