Leave Perishables Out 2 Hours Max; Cook Poultry to 165°F

CDC says never to leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it’s exposed to temperatures above 90°F, like a hot car or a picnic. All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey, should reach an internal temperature of 165°F, and the only way to tell if food is safely cooked is to use a food thermometer.

CDC sums up preventing food poisoning in four steps: clean, separate, cook and chill. This article follows CDC’s food poisoning prevention page: riskier foods, the four steps and what to do with recalled food. Health situations differ, so ask your health care provider if you have questions.

Riskier foods

CDC explains (CDC Preventing Food Poisoning):

• Raw or undercooked: poultry, meat, seafood or eggs; sprouts.
• Unwashed produce: unwashed fruits and vegetables.
• Cut melon: melon that has been cut.
• Unpasteurized: unpasteurized milk, juice, cider or soft cheese.
• Raw dough: raw dough or raw batter made with uncooked flour.

Clean

• Wash your hands: wash your hands before, during and after preparing food and before eating, with soap and warm or cold water for at least 20 seconds; always wash after handling uncooked meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, flour or eggs.
• Wash utensils: wash utensils, cutting boards and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
• Rinse produce: rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.

Separate

• When shopping: keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and their juices away from other foods.
• When storing: keep raw or marinating meat, poultry, seafood and eggs separate from all other foods, and store raw meat, poultry and seafood in sealed containers or wrapped securely so juices don’t leak onto other foods.
• When preparing: use one cutting board or plate for raw meat, poultry and seafood, and a separate one for produce, bread and other foods that won’t be cooked.
• Raw chicken: it’s ready to cook and doesn’t need to be washed first; washing it can spread germs to other foods, the sink and the counter. If you choose to wash it, do so as safely as possible.

Cook

• Use a thermometer: the only way to tell if food is safely cooked is to use a food thermometer; you can’t tell by color and texture (except for seafood).
• Whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb and pork: 145°F, then let the meat rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating.
• Fish with fins: 145°F, or cook until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.
• Ground meats: ground meats such as beef and pork, 160°F.
• Poultry: all poultry, including ground chicken and turkey, 165°F.
• Leftovers and casseroles: 165°F.
• Microwaving: follow recommended cooking and standing times; letting food sit a few minutes lets cold spots absorb heat; when reheating, use a food thermometer to make sure it reaches 165°F.

Chill

• The danger zone: bacteria can multiply rapidly at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F.
• Refrigerate within 2 hours: refrigerate perishable food (meat, seafood, dairy, cut fruit, some vegetables and cooked leftovers) within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if it’s exposed to temperatures above 90°F.
• Fridge temperature: keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F or below; if your refrigerator has no built-in thermometer, keep an appliance thermometer inside.
• Hot food: divide warm or hot food into several clean, shallow containers before refrigerating; small portions of hot food can go straight into the refrigerator because they chill faster.
• Thawing: thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave; never thaw food on the counter, because bacteria multiply quickly in the parts that reach room temperature.

Recalled food

• Throw it away: throw away recalled food, and clean the refrigerator if you stored a recalled food there.

For handwashing and disinfecting against norovirus, see Sanitizer Doesn't Work Well on Norovirus; Wash 20 Seconds; for preventing cooking fires, see Cooking Is the Top Cause of Home Fires, Turn Off the Burner.

What this article doesn’t cover

• Temperatures for shellfish and precooked ham: CDC links to a separate temperature chart that this article didn’t review.
• How long food keeps: CDC links to another page that this article didn’t review.
• Symptoms of food poisoning: the page doesn’t cover them, so this article doesn’t either.

FAQ

What temperature should turkey reach?

CDC says all poultry, including turkey, should reach an internal temperature of 165°F, and the only way to tell if it’s safely cooked is to use a food thermometer.

Can dinner leftovers sit out until the next morning before I refrigerate them?

CDC says never to leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.

Can I thaw frozen meat on the counter?

No. CDC says to thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, never on the counter.

Should I wash raw chicken first?

CDC says raw chicken doesn’t need to be washed first, and washing it can spread germs to other foods, the sink and the counter; if you choose to wash it, do so as safely as possible.

Sources and date checked

All checked on 2026-11-02.

• CDC, Preventing Food Poisoning (page updated 2025-11-24):https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/prevention/index.html

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