Expert warns about the dangers of eating leftover food after family die from eating defrosted meal

A food storage expert has warned Brits about the dangers of eating leftovers which aren't stored correctly.

There's nothing more frustrating than getting home after a long day of work and realising you need to spend another 20 to 40 minutes stood in the kitchen preparing something to eat.

It is for this exact reason (maybe) that batch cooking was invented, to save the global workforce's sanity on a dreary Tuesday night.

Having leftovers can make cooking a whole lot easier (Getty Stock Images)

But every positive in this world needs to have a downside, with convenience cooking having a pretty nasty consequence if you don't store your leftovers correctly.

In fact, sometimes the effects can prove fatal after one family suffered a painful death from eating one-year-old defrosted noodles.

What are the dangers of eating leftovers which haven't been stored correctly?

Coming as a surprise to no one, pushing your luck when it comes to leftovers could see you come down with some pretty nasty food poisoning - and in extreme cases even death.

Thankfully, contracting life-threatening toxins such as Bacillus cereus or Bongkrekic acid from your food are pretty rare, however we'd imagine that you'd also want to avoid the pretty grim symptoms of food poisoning such as vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea as well.

However improper food storage can lead to you getting very ill (Getty Stock Images)

How to safely store leftover food

When it comes to safely storing leftovers, Joshua Houston, Food Storage Expert at Household Quotes recommends allowing the food to cool down to room temperature before storing in the fridge within a sealed container.

However, Houston warns against leaving your food out for longer than two hours as 'bacteria can also grow quickly on foods that are left out at room temperature for too long'.

Now you may think it would be easier to shove any leftovers in the fridge straight away if you're in a rush, however this can also be dangerous.

"You should always wait for food to cool down before refrigerating, as the hot food can increase the temperature of your fridge," Houston explained. "This not only puts the leftover food at risk but also anything else that is already being stored."

When it comes to how long you should keep leftover food before throwing it away, Houston recommends 'three to four days after you first put them in the fridge' before throwing the meal away.

Food stored in the freezer can last for 'up to six months' in a sealed container, with the food expert suggesting labelling any meals frozen in order to avoid eating a five-year old chilli.

Defrosting and reheating food correctly is also important, as this can also be a prime time for bacteria to multiply on food. Houston explains that you can use either a microwave, oven or air fryer to reheat food - as long as you make sure it reaches a temperature of 74°C.