Why do soups and teas go bad and unsafe to drink if left out in room temperature for a few hours but it’s perfectly safe to drink a glass of water left out overnight?

Question

Wouldn’t bacteria also grow in the water left out and release toxins?

In: 43

Answer 1

Soups and teas have organic compounds added to them that are much more nourishing for microorganisms.

Water’s just water. If you leave it out long enough, it’ll become unsafe to drink, but that’s because you have to wait for enough dust etc. to fall inside it for there to be something to kick off an environment where a self-sustaining biome can happen.

Think about being trapped in a grocery store for a week vs. being trapped in a water treatment facility. Being surrounded by all that water won’t do you much good if there’s no food!