Is the meat still good?

Question

I bought some Oscar Myer lunch meat yesterday: Ham, turkey and Canadian Bacon. I brought it home, plunked it on the counter and promptly forgot about it for 2 hours while I made dinner, did laundry, etc. When I finally discoverd it, it was still cool to the touch, but far from refridgerated temperature. The package is still sealed. Is it okay to use, or should I ditch it?

Answer 1

The rule is, four hours and most meat is completely spoiled. Restaurants try to practice close to 2 hrs at most for food to be at room temperature. Meats such as pork and most poultry is more sensitive, an must cooled in about an hour.

I would say two hours and you are good. Plus, smell it. If it is spoiled it will smell spoiled.

Answer 2

If it was sealed, it should still be ok. Lunch meats are precooked and all.

Anecdotally, I once left half a deli sandwich in my jacket pocket overnight. It was still ok and I ate it with no apparent side affects, if your airconditioning is on, or the area is kept cool, then there shouldn't be much of an issue about it.

If it had been hot and left out, I would be leary of it, and I wouldn't make a habit of leaving it out. Also, if you have the meat open to the air, fungal spores and the like can settle on it. Bread should be layed on its side while you take your slices out from the side, putting it on its end will allow spores to float down onto it and it will go bad quicker.

If it was sealed though, and still cool to the touch, it's 99% likely to still be good.

Answer 3

Well, I would say that it's still good as long as you put it in the fridge right away, it wasn't in the sun and it wasn't too hot that day. Those cold cuts have alot of sodium and preservatives in them to help keep for a while. Best smell it and taste (but not swallow) a piece of it before swallowing or serving to others (especially children). Incidentally, you should always check the package, thoroughly, too before buying them. You would not want to know the stuff I've seen growing in some of the sealed cold cut and bacon packages in the supermarkets. YUCK! Best wishes and take care.

Answer 4

I would not know. I had an issue with some sausage once though and called the grocer - asked for the meat department (I bought sausage near sandwich meat) -- they can tell you the answer if you can't get it here. So I guess this is "somewhat of an answer" right? Sorry

Answer 5

It should still be ok, but if you have any doubts, cut up the mean, saute it in a pan and cook it very well, then use it in rice or a pasta dish, or a hot sandwich. You'll kill anything thing that might have grown on it and actually make it taste better too.

Answer 6

As long as it was still cool, it will be fine. But check it when you get it out of the refrigerator, it may not last as long as it normaly would. Lunch meat is so processed that it lasts a long time.

Answer 7

I always do the smell test first. Then a sample taste test.
If those 2 pass the test, go for it and eat it.......Food is sooo expensive, it would be a shame to have to throw it out...:) (Seriously, I think for just 2 hours it would be alright.) :)

Answer 8

two hours. i would definitely just throw it away. i know it sucks to throw money away. i have done that before with cheese. made a sandwich, got to doing something else and forgot about it. oh well.

Answer 9

Coco Mo Joe would eat it !

Answer 10

It's probably still good. You did put it in the fridge once you realized, didn't you?