How are bento boxes safe to eat when they’re kept at room temperature for several hours before eating?
In: 103
I can think of two reasons off the top of my head:
1. Most bentos don’t contain raw foods.
2. Most bentos are insulated.
I grew up with a “bento” that was essentially a Thermos (insulated container), with individually sealed compartments for things like rice and soup. Alternarively, in Taiwan, for example, there’s a standard bento box that’s made out of stainless steel that kids bring to school and that the school will heat up on racks in a steam bath before lunchtime.
If it’s not insulated, you’ll want to refrigerate it and/or heat it up for serving. Not just for food safety, either — warm rice is much softer than cold and tastes better in general.
But there’s nothing magical about a bento box. You can definitely smell the difference between a bento at lunchtime and at the end of the day.
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