Leftover pizza? When do you need to throw it out?

I love pizza. I won't go so far as to say it's the perfect food but when it's fresh and hot, Pizza is awesome. The crunch of the crust, the sauce, the cheese, the toppings, I prefer pepperoni and salami. You get that tangy bite, it's wonderful.

But pizza is not forever. What do you do with that leftover pizza, and how long will it last? When do you need to throw that stuff out?

My attitude has always been that the only thing better than hot pizza is cold pizza out of the fridge. (What's for breakfast? Pizza. Leftover pizza.) Sometimes I'll put it in the microwave to try to revive it, sometimes I won't. Probably the best way to revive leftover pizza is to reheat it in a conventional oven at about 350° until it's crispy.

According to eatingwell.com.
‘You may have gotten away with eating pizza that sat out in the past without consequences, but that doesn't mean you'll be unscathed next time. So, if it sat out overnight, toss that pizza in the trash or compost bin, and spare yourself the risk of foodborne illness. Better yet, refrigerate the leftovers within two hours and you can reheat them the next day (or eat cold pizza if that's your style).’

That's right, pizza is like any other perishable food item. Treat it that way. Don't leave it sitting out on the counter overnight or even for a couple of hours. Close the box, put it in the fridge. Better yet, wrap the slices individually then put them in the box and into the refrigerator they go.

The next question is how long can it sit in the fridge? Well, if you're me that's a moot point because it's not going to be in the fridge that long. Not more than a day, 2 days tops although I believe the cutoff point is 4 days for pizza then it goes in the garbage. Remember, just because it was in the fridge for four plus days, and you ate it, and you didn't get sick doesn't mean that it was safe to eat.

It just means that you were lucky. And that you have, as my mom used to say, “a cast iron constitution.”

Exactly When Does That Leftover Pizza Belong in the Trash? (thefw.com)
Is It Safe to Eat Pizza That's Been Left Out Overnight? (eatingwell.com)