Could there be a lot of bacteria in leftovers?

In China, many people have the habit of eating leftovers, especially those families that are not well off. If they cannot finish a meal, they will save the leftovers for the next meal. Here we remind everyone to control the amount every time you cook and try not to leave leftovers. If you want to eat leftovers, be sure to heat them at high temperature before eating, because leftovers can easily produce bacteria, which will endanger your health if eaten.

Could there be a lot of bacteria in leftovers?

The living environment is full of bacteria/fungi. Rice that has just been cooked at high temperature for a certain period of time is sterile. But if the rice is left in the air for a while and cools down, it will inevitably be contaminated with bacteria.

If left at room temperature, bacteria will use the nutrients in the food to multiply rapidly. The longer the food is exposed to the air, the more bacteria will land on the food. The longer the food is left at room temperature, the more bacteria will multiply.

Covering the rice and putting it in the refrigerator is a better way to prevent bacteria. It mainly inhibits bacterial reproduction but does not kill bacteria and fungi. But there is still slow reproduction. This means that if it is kept in the refrigerator for a period of time, it will become spoiled and moldy.

There are many kinds of bacteria, such as Enterobacter, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Yeast, Streptococcus salivarius, Mucor, Penicillium, Aspergillus, etc., which are very common. Are the types I mentioned enough? If not, please add more.

There are many types of bacteria because leftovers are also made up of organic matter. For example, food will grow hair if it is left for a long time. The "hair" you see is the colony of mold.

There are many kinds of bacteria, such as Enterobacter, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Yeast, Streptococcus salivarius, Mucor, Penicillium, Aspergillus, etc., which are very common. Are the types I mentioned enough? If not, please add more.

People are accustomed to believing that overnight food will produce a large amount of nitrite, and frequent consumption will lead to the risk of poisoning or even cancer, so they are particularly concerned about how to deal with leftovers. But is the crime really in these leftovers? Or is it because of some improper habits that lead to potential harm? What exactly lies behind the problem?

In fact, there is a substance called nitrate that is commonly found in vegetables. During the planting stage, due to fertilization or the fertile soil itself, this substance may be absorbed by the vegetables. Nitrate itself is harmless or relatively low in toxicity to the human body, but after being ingested by the human body, it will turn into nitrite under the action of bacteria. In other words, the leftovers do not produce nitrite themselves, but rather because of the growth of bacteria.

It doesn't end here. The dishes are sterilized at high temperature before being fried, and are directly exposed to the air after being served on the plate. During the eating process, the saliva in the mouth is brought to the chopsticks, and then stirred with the chopsticks, which is equivalent to inoculating the bacteria and providing them with conditions for survival, allowing them to multiply in large numbers.