The same goes for other types of foods like eggs.
If cooking food kills the bacteria why does it matter if you leave the food out for too long?
Im not talking about things like completely rotten meat, but my concept of cooking is that basically 99% of the bacteria in food is killed if you cook it to be “well-done”.
So if the bacteria is dead, then why can you still contract foodborne illnesses from it?
In: Biology
No expert by any means, but I had coincidentally googled this recently. The layman’s version that I understood: You’re on the right track. Cooking/microwaving food that has been out for too long kills the bacteria, but does not always kill/remove anything left behind by the bacteria.
Some food bacteria produce heat-resistant toxins that are left behind even after the bacteria itself has been cooked away. This is what causes food poisoning even after microwaving/cooking food that has been left out. Apparently you’re not 100% guaranteed to get toxins if you leave food out, but it’s usually best to toss the food if you’re unsure.
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