How long are Thanksgiving leftovers safe to eat? What to know about your turkey — and why some foods may go bad before they've hit the fridge.
For starters, it’s important to make sure that food is not left between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for longer than two hours, as it's within that temperature range that most foodborne-illness-causing bacteria thrive, says Leah Groppo, a clinical dietitian with Stanford Health Care.