The three golden rules of food safety

Cool and cover leftovers and put them in a fridge or freezer within 2 hours (see the 2-hour/4-hour rule below).
Splitting leftovers into smaller portions aids faster cooling, which helps prevent bacteria growth. It also helps with portion control and meal planning.
Always store leftovers at less than 5˚C and keep them separate from uncooked foods, such as raw meat.
Eat leftovers stored in the fridge within 3 days. Cooked rice and pasta should be eaten within 2 days.
Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and use within 24 hours of defrosting.
Throw away leftovers if they’ve been out of the fridge for more than 4 hours.
For opened canned food leftovers, follow the manufacturer’s directions for storage and use and take the same precautions as you would for fresh food.

Always reheat leftovers to steaming hot (at least 60˚C). Reheating leftovers kills harmful bacteria that may have grown since it was cooked.
Stir microwaved food while heating to ensure it is hot all the way through.
Never reheat rice and pasta more than once and make sure it is steaming hot.
Take extra care with takeaway rice. It should be eaten soon after purchasing as some businesses may pre-cook rice and re-heat it before it is served.

Temperature control is very important to prevent harmful bacteria from growing in certain types of food. Food poisoning bacteria grow best between temperatures of 5°C and 60°C - also known as the ‘temperature danger zone’.
To minimise your risk of food poisoning, follow the 2-hour/4-hour rule:
If your leftover food has been out of the fridge for less than 2 hours – use it now, or put it back in the fridge for later
between 2 and 4 hours – use it now or throw it out, and
after 4 hours throw the food out.
The time between 5°C and 60°C is cumulative — that means you need to add up every time the food has been out of the fridge.
Remember most of all: if in doubt, throw it out -in your home compost or your council FOGO!