This last bit of Christmas trivia is good to remember all year long since it is health-related.  It is estimated that 400,000 people become sick each year from eating tainted Christmas leftovers.  I read this on several websites but couldn’t find the actual source to verify it but if you’re like most families, there was lots of food set out during the holidays.  Everyone seems to take more time eating holiday meals than regular meals any other day of the year so food sits on the table or counter a lot longer. Then there are the people who like to keep eating all day long so some munchies sit out for hours.  But how long should food be left out before it starts to go bad?

This ABC News/Health story explains how to tell if food has gone bad and how long you should keep leftovers.  It’s good to remember all year long, not just during the holidays.

My parents have a saying, “When in doubt, throw it out” because it’s better to be safe than sorry.  And who would want to get sick between Christmas and New Years just because you ate some bad leftovers or food that set out too long?  Even your favorite leftover turkey or stuffing wouldn’t be worth it.  And if you’re not sure if it’s spoiled or not, please don’t feed it to your pets either.

Happy New Year to everyone!  Eat healthy!

If you missed any of my 12 Days of Christmas Trivia, just scroll down to read the rest.