Office Food and Bacteria Go Hand-in-Hand

Question by Dan N. (Richmond, VA)
Posted on December 21, 2006

In my office employees will frequently bring in perishable food-to-share and leave this sitting out in the break room. Also, we have group potlucks and leftovers seem to linger in the office refrigerator for a long time. What are some guidelines to prevent food borne illness?

Amy's Answer

Amy Bragagnini, MS, RD, CSO, is a registered dietitian and…Read Full Bio

The average office refrigerator is cleaned out only once every 6 weeks. Don’t wait for the office clean up crew; discard leftovers in 3-5 days. If you have packed perishable foods such as meat, cheese, sandwiches, or salads don’t let more than 2 hours go between the times you prepared the item at home to the time the item goes into the refrigerator. Also, limit lunchtime lingering. After a potluck, refrigerate perishable items as soon as you are done eating.