Is it safe to re-heat food twice in a short time span?
Imagine the following scenario. You make some food, and put part of it in the fridge relatively quickly (often before I eat, so I save e.g. half for later).
Some time later, usually dinner the same day, or either lunch or dinner the next day, I re-heat that food.
So far, so good, I assume.
Now, the question is: what if I re-heat it (first time) for dinner, but it gets cold while eating, and I re-heat it the second time perhaps 20-60 minutes later?
A, is it safe at all, and B, if it can be, do I have to heat it to cooking temperature yet again, or can I simply heat it so it's pleasant to eat, this second time? I always heat it properly the first time around.
Best Answer
The real issue is the total time it spends in the "danger zone" (40-140 F, 4-60 C), not how many times it is heated, frozen or refrigerated. Those things may change the quality and make the food unpleasant, but that is a separate issue. Re-heating in and of itself is not inherently unsafe.
See also:
How do I know if food left at room temperature is still safe to eat?
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Quick Answer about "Is it safe to re-heat food twice in a short time span?"
In terms of food safety, however, so long as you reheat the food at the correct temperature and for the correct duration of time, it can in fact be safely reheated multiple times. However, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends that food is only reheated once, so follow this guidance wherever possible.Is It Safe To Re-Heat Takeaways? | Earth Lab
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