As every college student knows, pizza never goes bad. After all, you can let it sit overnight, eat a slice for breakfast, and head to class, right? Well, the good news is that most of today’s college students either have incredibly strong immune systems or are incredibly lucky, because this is not true. Takeout pizza has limits as to how long it can sit and still be decent to eat. The meat, cheese, and sauce on a pizza can grow dangerous bacteria if left out at room temperature for too long. Here are some guidelines to use with the ordered pizza when saving it for a later meal.

Remember, pizza is perishable!

Some foods are considered non-perishable, but pizza is not one of them. If you leave it out too long and then eat it, you can get sick. Pizza has meat and cheese on it, and these can harbor dangerous bacteria, such as Staphylococcus, Salmonella, and E. Coli.

Most pizzas contain small amounts of these bacteria, but these low amounts are not dangerous. As long as the pizza stays hot or cold, it’s fine to eat. However, when left at room temperature for too long, bacteria begin to grow and soon reach dangerous levels that can cause serious illness. Dangerous temperatures are 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the range that normal room temperatures fall in, so leaving pizza out makes it dangerous, if not deadly.

Understanding the two hour rule

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), any food, whether hot or cold, that has been left out at room temperature for two hours or more should be thrown out. If the temperature is above 90, such as at a picnic outside on a hot day, the food should be thrown away after only one hour. The best temperature for hot foods is any temperature above 140 degrees. Cold foods must be kept at a temperature of 40 degrees or below. Although this recommendation is from the USDA, it applies to both Toronto and New York pizza.

Please note that your pizza may not arrive at the proper temperature. If you transported the pizza yourself or the delivery driver had to take a long route, the temperature might have dropped below 140 degrees before you started eating it. Use a food thermometer to determine the temperature of the pizza. If it’s below 140 degrees, don’t leave it out for the maximum of two hours. It has already cooled below the ideal temperature, allowing harmful bacteria to grow.

Pizza Storage Tips

If you know you’ll need to keep the pizza on hand for more than two hours, use your oven to keep it above 140 degrees. Set the oven temperature setting to “keep warm” or a similar option, and leave the pizza in its carton in the oven. The pizza box will not burn at this temperature, but it will be able to keep the pizza safe.

When you’re done with the pizza, store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Many people like to store their pizza in their cardboard box. While this is good for your health, it can make the pizza dry out faster. You can also freeze the pizza. Pizza stored in the refrigerator usually lasts three to four days. You can store it in the freezer for up to two months.

So the next time you’re at a party and reaching for that now-cold piece of pizza, remember that it’s a prime place for dangerous bacteria to grow. If you are hosting the party, keep your guests safe by putting the pizza away after two hours. Remember, you may have had pizza without eating in the past, but every time you do, you’re playing with fire. Protect yourself by handling your takeout food safely every time!