Eli5 why is it that food can be left in steamers and under heat warming lamps for hours but it harbors harmful bacteria if you leave it in a hot place like a car for a few hours?

Question

Eli5 why is it that food can be left in steamers and under heat warming lamps for hours but it harbors harmful bacteria if you leave it in a hot place like a car for a few hours?

In: 312

Answer 1

Much of it comes down to how recently the food was prepared. Under heat lamps in a restaurant the food would presumably be fresh and relatively free of germs and pathogens. Food in a hot car… could be days old.