for how long should food be left outside the refrigerator ?

Question

For how long should food be stored in refrigerator freezer?
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Answer 1

Depends on what it is. http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/f01chart.html

Cold Storage Chart
Product Refrigerator (40 °F) Freezer (0 °F)
Eggs
Fresh, in shell 3 to 5 weeks Don't freeze
Raw yolks, whites 2 to 4 days 1 year
Hardcooked 1 week Don't freeze well
Liquid pasteurized eggs, egg substitutes,
opened 3 days Don't freeze well
unopened 10 days. Freezer unopened. 1 year

Mayonnaise
commercial refrigerate after opening 2 months Doesn't freeze
Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products
Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, ham, tuna, macaroni salads 3 to 5 days Doesn't freeze well
Hot dogs & Luncheon Meats
Hot dogs,
opened package 1 week 1 to 2 months
unopened package 1 to 2 months.
1 week

Luncheon meats, opened package 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months in freezer

unopened package in fridge 1 to 2 months in freezer
3 to 5 days

Bacon & Sausage
Bacon 7 days 1 month
Sausage, raw from chicken, turkey, pork, beef 1 to 2 days 1 to 2 months in freezer
Smoked breakfast links, patties 7 days in fridge 1 to 2 months in freezer.
Hard sausage--pepperoni, jerky sticks 2 to 3 weeks in fridge 1 to 2 months in freezer
Summer sausage--labeled "Keep Refrigerated"
opened 3 weeks unopened in fridge 3 months. both in freezer 1 to 2 months.

Ham, Corned Beef
Corned beef, in pouch with pickling juices 5 to 7 days in fridge. Drained, 1 month in freezer
Ham, canned--labeled "Keep Refrigerated"
opened 3 to 5 days in fridge 1 to 2 months in Freezer

Unopened is 6 to 9 months in fridge.

Doesn't freeze

Ham, fully cooked vacuum sealed at plant, undated, unopened 2 weeks 1 to 2 months
Ham, fully cooked vacuum sealed at plant, dated, unopened "use by" date on package 1 to 2 months
Ham, fully cooked, whole 7 days 1 to 2 months
Ham, fully cooked, half 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months
Ham, fully cooked, slices 3 to 4 days 1 to 2 months
Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat
Hamburger & stew meat 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months
Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb & mixtures of them 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork
Steaks 3 to 5 days 6 to 12 months
Chops 3 to 5 days 4 to 6 months
Roasts 3 to 5 days 4 to 12 months
Variety meats--tongue, liver, heart, kidneys, chitterlings 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months
Pre-stuffed, uncooked pork chops, lamb chops, or chicken breast stuffed with dressing 1 day Don't freeze well
Soup & Stews
Vegetable or meat added 3 to 4 days 2 to 3 months
Meat Leftovers
Cooked meat and meat casseroles 3 to 4 days 2 to 3 months
Gravy and meat broth 1 to 2 days 2 to 3 months
Fresh Poultry
Chicken or turkey, whole 1 to 2 days 1 year
Chicken or turkey, pieces 1 to 2 days 9 months
Giblets 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months
Cooked Poultry
Fried chicken 3 to 4 days 4 months
Cooked poultry casseroles 3 to 4 days 4 to 6 months
Pieces, plain 3 to 4 days 4 months
Pieces covered with broth, gravy 1 to 2 days 6 months
Chicken nuggets, patties 1 to 2 days 1 to 3 months
Pizza
Pizza 3 to 4 days 1 to 2 months
Stuffing
Stuffing--cooked 3 to 4 days 1 month
Beverages, Fruit
Juices in cartons, fruit drinks, punch 3 weeks unopened
7 to 10 days opened 8 to 12 months
Dairy
Butter 1 to 3 months 6 to 9 months
Buttermilk 7 to 14 days 3 months
Cheese, Hard (such as Cheddar, Swiss) 6 months, unopened
3 to 4 weeks in fridge, opened 6 months in freezer
Cheese Soft (such as Brie, Bel Paese) 1 week in fridge 6 months in freezer
Cottage Cheese, Ricotta 1 week Doesn't freeze well
Cream Cheese 2 weeks Doesn't freeze well
Cream--Whipped, ultrapasteurized 1 month Doesn't freeze
Cream--Whipped, Sweetened 1 day in fridge 1 to 2 months in freezer
Cream--Aerosol can, real whipped cream 3 to 4 weeks Doesn't freeze
Cream--Aerosol can, non dairy topping 3 months Doesn't freeze
Cream, Half and Half 3 to 4 days in fridge 4 months in freezer
Eggnog, commercial 3 to 5 days in fridge 6 months in freezer
Margarine 4 to 5 months in fridge 12 months in freezer
Milk 7 days in fridge 3 months in freezer
Pudding package date; 2 days after opening Doesn't freeze
Sour cream 7 to 21 days Doesn't freeze
Yogurt 7 to 14 days in fridge. 1 to 2 months in freezer
Dough
Tube cans of rolls, biscuits, pizza dough, etc. Use-by-date Don't freeze
Ready-to-bake pie crust Use-by-date 2 months
Cookie dough Use-by-date unopened or opened 2 months
Fish
Lean fish (cod, flounder, haddock, sole, etc.) 1 to 2 fridge days 6 months in freezer.
Fatty fish (bluefish, mackerel, salmon, etc.) 1 to 2 days fridge 2 to 3 months in freezer
Cooked fish 3 to 4 days in fridge 4 to 6 months in freezer
Smoked fish 14 days or date on vacuum package in fridge 2 months in vacuum package in freezer
Shellfish
Shrimp, scallops, crayfish, squid, shucked clams, mussels and oysters 1 to 2 days in fridge 3 to 6 months in freezer
Live clams, mussels, crab, lobster and oysters 2 to 3 days in fridge 2 to 3 months in freezer
Cooked shellfish 3 to 4 days in fridge. 3 months in freezer


Note: These short but safe time limits will help keep refrigerated foods from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat.Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality only.Storage times are from date of purchase unless specified on chart. It is not important if a date expires after food is frozen.