Reheated Food

[supercoop]

Once food has been cooked thoroughly, can it develop salmonella if it is not reheated to a proper temperature?

[WendyS]

Reheated food can often be a problem, especially if it hasn't been stored properly, i.e. if the remains of a Shepherds pie, for example haven't been stored in a fridge overnight. Liquid food such as soups I would always bring to the boil again for 3 -4 minutes. Solid food I would reheat in an oven or microwave until it's bubbling. Food poisoning of any kind is all to easy to trigger. Also, I'm wary of ordering soup in a restaurant, especially if it's home made, in case it has a base of chicken or other stock which hasn't been bought to the boil first. One never quite knows what goes on behind some of these kitchen doors !

[woofgang]

Adding to WendyS's sensible answer, the food doesn't develop salmonella but any bugs on it are not killed by heat do have a greater chance of multiplying and making you ill

[Gnisy]

Thoroughly cooked food still provides nutrients. With a condusive environment temperature, be it cold, warm or hot, certain bacteria can still grow inside the foodstuffs. Therefore, even if Salmonella did not make a comeback, it could be the least of your worries. There are a wide range of bacteria that can grow and when consumed, cause gastrointestinal problems to the eater.

Reheating is conducted in order to kill those bacteria and let's face it, cooked food taste better as well.