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

When I worked in food service, nothing could stay under a warning lamp for longer than 15 min. There was pretty high turnover or we tossed it, sadly. The food was so cheap produce, it only cost us a a few pennies to throw out and replace every 15 min.