It’s important to handle all takeout food safely. Mishandling any of them could make you sick! The first and most important thing to consider is time. How long will it be until you can get that food home and safely refrigerated, or reheated and eaten? Remember, the safe time limit for cooked food without refrigeration is only 2 hours. And if the air temperature around the food is above 90° F, then the safe time is only 1 hour. That has to include the time since the food arrived at your table if you're at a sit‐down restaurant, or when they handed you the bag at the Chinese take‐out. So if you have plans for anything else between getting the food and going home, it's risky. Get the food last! Otherwise, leave leftovers behind. Even feeding them to your doggie could be unsafe. If you do plan on getting take out foods or bringing leftovers home, go prepared. Unless you're positive you'll be home within an hour, take enough coolers or insulated bags for all of it. Bring some frozen ice blocks in the bag or have crushed ice in the cooler for cold items, especially here in Florida’s hot summers. Cold foods need to stay below 40° F. But if you can get the food cold fast, and keep it cold, you'll be in good shape.
