How should meat and poultry products be handled at home?
Keep uncooked products under refrigeration as much as possible. If you are not going to cook and eat the product the same day as purchased, it is generally advisable to freeze it until use. Cooked, left over, meats and poultry should be refrigerated within 2 hours after cooking. If it is necessary to keep cooked meats and poultry without refrigeration longer than 2 hours maintain their temperature at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The United States Department of Agriculture operates a consumer Hotline: 1-800-535-4555 from 10AM to 4:30PM, Eastern Standard Time. For more information, call (602)542-4971.
