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My grandma leaves big pots of soup cooling on the stove for 10 hours. Can it stay out that long safely?. Full article

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The short answer is no, leaving soup out at room temperature for that long is not considered safe by modern food safety standards.

The concern comes down to how bacteria grow. When hot food begins to cool, it passes through what food safety experts call the “danger zone,” typically between about 4°C and 60°C (40°F to 140°F). Within this temperature range, bacteria can multiply rapidly, sometimes doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. A large pot of soup, especially, cools very slowly, meaning it can remain in this temperature range for several hours.

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