Safety and Infection ControlQuestion 841 of 2368
A client asks how long cooked leftovers can stay at room temperature. What is the nurse's best response?
- Food can safely stay out at room temperature for up to four hours
- Food should not stay between 40 and 140 degrees for more than two hours
- Food can stay out until the next meal as long as it stays covered
- Food can stay out overnight at room temperature if it was fully cooked
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Correct answer: Food should not stay between 40 and 140 degrees for more than two hours
Microbes grow best between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Food should be chilled within two hours.
Source: Nursing Health Promotion (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2025), Healthy Diets: Food Safety. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Practice the topic "Safety and Infection Control"Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026