Buzz
After cooking food, you typically place it in the fridge to ensure it stays safe. But what about last night's pizza that's still resting in its box on the counter? The good news is, a food safety expert assures us that leftover cheese pizza from the previous day is considered 'low risk.'
Now, he can't promise that it won’t harm you, but Benjamin Chapman, a food safety expert from North Carolina State University, mentions that foodborne illnesses from unrefrigerated pizza are so rare they don’t even register as a significant public health concern.
So, why is that? “It all boils down to water activity,” Chapman explains. Both bread and baked cheese are too dry to support bacteria growth. Tomato sauce does have some moisture, but its acidity likely keeps germs at bay.
Toppings, however, change the equation. If you topped your pizza with juicy tomatoes, you should definitely refrigerate it. I also asked Chapman about other toppings in the juicy-to-dry range. Pepperoni is fine (it’s commonly stored at room temperature), but what about green peppers or buffalo chicken? They’re okay if they’ve been baked long enough to remove excess moisture. Unfortunately, there’s no way for you, the average pizza lover, to know for sure. Bad news: “You can't.”
Ultimately, the decision is yours, but it seems like plain and pepperoni pizzas are probably safe. Good luck if you choose to take a chance on the others.
