Leftovers
Everyday exposureFood & drinkAlso called · 8 names▾▴
leftovers, reheated food, leftover food, food storage, leftover rice, reheat leftovers, pregnancy leftovers, leftovers fridge
Eggs, dough & leftovers
General information · effects depend on amount, timing, and how it is used. About these sources
Research strength: 3 / 5
FDA says Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures and recommends keeping the refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C). CDC says to refrigerate perishable leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour after exposure above 90°F (32°C). USDA FSIS says properly handled meat and poultry leftovers may be kept up to 4 days and reheated to 165°F (74°C); FoodSafety.gov says to use cooked leftovers within 4 days. FSANZ includes pregnant people among vulnerable groups and gives a 1-day leftover window, with food reheated until steaming hot at 75°C. The agencies agree on prompt refrigeration and thorough heating but differ on the storage window. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods for Moms-to-BeUS government
- CDC: Preventing Food PoisoningUS government
- USDA FSIS: Restaurant leftovers guidance
- FoodSafety.gov: Reduce Your Risk of Foodborne Illness
- FSANZ: Listeria in food
- FSANZ: Food handling for vulnerable people
Research strength: 3 / 5
FDA says Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures and recommends keeping the refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C). CDC says to refrigerate perishable leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour after exposure above 90°F (32°C). USDA FSIS says properly handled meat and poultry leftovers may be kept up to 4 days and reheated to 165°F (74°C); FoodSafety.gov says to use cooked leftovers within 4 days. FSANZ includes pregnant people among vulnerable groups and gives a 1-day leftover window, with food reheated until steaming hot at 75°C. The agencies agree on prompt refrigeration and thorough heating but differ on the storage window. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods for Moms-to-BeUS government
- CDC: Preventing Food PoisoningUS government
- USDA FSIS: Restaurant leftovers guidance
- FoodSafety.gov: Reduce Your Risk of Foodborne Illness
- FSANZ: Listeria in food
- FSANZ: Food handling for vulnerable people
Research strength: 3 / 5
FDA says Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures and recommends keeping the refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C). CDC says to refrigerate perishable leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour after exposure above 90°F (32°C). USDA FSIS says properly handled meat and poultry leftovers may be kept up to 4 days and reheated to 165°F (74°C); FoodSafety.gov says to use cooked leftovers within 4 days. FSANZ includes pregnant people among vulnerable groups and gives a 1-day leftover window, with food reheated until steaming hot at 75°C. The agencies agree on prompt refrigeration and thorough heating but differ on the storage window. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods for Moms-to-BeUS government
- CDC: Preventing Food PoisoningUS government
- USDA FSIS: Restaurant leftovers guidance
- FoodSafety.gov: Reduce Your Risk of Foodborne Illness
- FSANZ: Listeria in food
- FSANZ: Food handling for vulnerable people
Leftovers — Breastfeeding
Research strength: 2 / 5
CDC and USDA FSIS describe general leftover-handling steps, including prompt refrigeration and reheating to 165°F (74°C). Health Canada's pregnancy guidance gives a 2-to-4-day refrigerator window for leftovers and does not address breastfeeding. The reviewed pages provide general food-handling advice rather than a breastfeeding-specific leftover rule. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- CDC: Preventing Food PoisoningUS government
- USDA FSIS: Restaurant leftovers guidance
- Health Canada: Food handling for pregnant peopleGovernment regulator
Pregnancy
FDA says Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures and recommends keeping the refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C). Myintzaw et al. (2022) studied 150 isolates at 4°C and 7°C in laboratory media and selected strains in model food matrices; the paper did not test household leftovers or pregnancy outcomes. A 2022 single-hospital retrospective cohort reported 14 pregnancy-associated listeriosis cases; among 14 neonatal cases, 11 survived and 3 died. Those diagnosed-case outcomes show why agencies treat listeriosis as serious during pregnancy, but they do not estimate risk from properly stored leftovers. USDA FSIS allows up to 4 days for properly handled meat and poultry leftovers, while FoodSafety.gov gives a 4-day limit for cooked leftovers; both give 165°F (74°C) reheating guidance. FSANZ includes pregnant people among vulnerable groups and recommends a 1-day window for leftovers and reheating until steaming hot at 75°C. These are agency handling limits, not findings from a study comparing storage windows.
Breastfeeding
FDA, CDC, USDA FSIS, Health Canada and FSANZ describe food storage and reheating guidance; they do not report breastfeeding-specific outcomes or measure exposure through human milk.
Leftovers are previously cooked foods kept for a later meal; they do not have one fixed ingredient list. USDA FSIS describes restaurant leftovers such as meat, poultry, eggs and other dishes, so ingredient-specific food guidance depends on the original food.
What was tested
Myintzaw et al. (2022) measured growth in 150 Listeria monocytogenes isolates at 4°C and 7°C in laboratory media, then tested selected strains in UHT milk, chocolate milk and fish pie. The study reported variation between strains. These tests did not use household leftovers, pregnant participants or breastfed infants.
Refrigerated leftover storage time for pregnant or other vulnerable people
- Source A says
- USDA FSIS describes properly handled meat and poultry leftovers as suitable for up to 4 days at 40°F. FoodSafety.gov says cooked leftovers should be used within 4 days, and Health Canada lists 2 to 4 days for leftovers. (USDA FSIS: Restaurant leftovers guidance, FoodSafety.gov: Reduce Your Risk of Foodborne Illness, Health Canada: Food handling for pregnant people)
- Source B says
- FSANZ includes pregnant people among vulnerable groups and advises using refrigerated leftovers within 1 day, with reheating until steaming hot. (FSANZ: Listeria in food, FSANZ: Food handling for vulnerable people)
- Why they differ
- The US and Canadian pages give general leftover storage windows. FSANZ gives a shorter window for vulnerable people, including pregnant people. The pages do not compare pregnancy outcomes after leftovers stored for 1 day versus 3 to 4 days.
- What the evidence shows overall
- The recommendations differ on the storage window and on how directly the shorter limit is applied to pregnancy. The agencies agree on prompt refrigeration and thorough reheating. The available evidence here does not quantify a pregnancy-specific risk for properly stored leftovers at either window.
- FoodSafety.gov describes putting leftovers in shallow containers for rapid cooling, using cooked leftovers within 4 days, and reheating them to 165°F (74°C). (FoodSafety.gov)
- CDC describes refrigerating perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when it has been exposed to temperatures above 90°F, and keeping the refrigerator at 40°F or below. (CDC)
- USDA FSIS describes using properly handled meat and poultry leftovers within 4 days and reheating leftovers to 165°F as checked with a food thermometer. (USDA FSIS)
- FSANZ advises pregnant people and other vulnerable groups to use refrigerated leftovers within 1 day and reheat them until steaming hot. (FSANZ)
- Health Canada lists a 2-to-4-day refrigerator window for leftovers and a reheating temperature of at least 74°C (165°F). (Health Canada)
General research, not specific to pregnancy.
CDC and USDA FSIS describe leftover storage and reheating as general food-handling guidance, not only pregnancy-specific guidance.
- CDC says perishable leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours, or within 1 hour after exposure to temperatures above 90°F, and gives a refrigerator limit of 40°F or below. (CDC: Preventing Food Poisoning)
- FoodSafety.gov says cooked leftovers should be used within 4 days and reheated to 165°F (74°C). (FoodSafety.gov: Reduce Your Risk of Foodborne Illness)
Experiences from moms and non-medical voices. Not medical evidence.
- FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods for Moms-to-BeUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2018-09-27
- USDA FSIS: Restaurant leftovers guidanceSecondaryPage dated 2021-06-21
- FoodSafety.gov: Reduce Your Risk of Foodborne IllnessSecondaryPage dated 2025-08-14
- CDC: Preventing Food PoisoningUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2025-11-24
- FSANZ: Listeria in foodSecondaryPage dated 2025-10-02Independent check
- FSANZ: Food handling for vulnerable peopleSecondaryPage dated 2026-03-20Independent check
- Health Canada: Food handling for pregnant peopleGovernment regulatorSecondaryPage dated 2025-03Independent check
- Myintzaw et al. 2022: Cold growth of Listeria isolatesUS governmentPrimaryPage dated 2022-12-26Independent check
- Ke et al. 2022: Pregnancy-associated listeriosis cohortUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
Last reviewed 2026-10-18
Independent check 2026-10-18
Not yet clinician-reviewed
Ask your provider about your situation.