Keep it safe, keep it good
Storage & reheating guidance.
General guidance for food from Chittagong Kitchen, based on Health Canada's food safety advice. Follow any shorter or more specific instructions on your packaging if they differ. When in doubt about a leftover, throw it out — you cannot tell if food is unsafe by how it looks or smells.
Chilled food
- Keep your fridge at 4°C (40°F) or below and your freezer at −18°C (0°F) or below.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours. Divide large amounts into shallow containers so they cool quickly.
- Use refrigerated leftovers within 2 to 4 days, or freeze them for later.
- Thaw frozen food in the fridge or the microwave — never on the counter.
Food delivered hot
- Eat hot-delivered food promptly. If you are keeping some for later, refrigerate it within 2 hours of delivery.
- Do not leave hot food sitting between 4°C and 60°C (40°F to 140°F) — that is the range where bacteria grow quickly. Keep hot food at or above 60°C if you are holding it for serving.
- Once refrigerated, the chilled-food guidance above applies.
Reheating
- Reheat leftovers to at least 74°C (165°F) right through. A food thermometer is the reliable check; stir while heating so food warms evenly.
- Bring soups, gravies and sauces to a rolling boil while stirring.
- Reheat leftovers only once, and discard anything uneaten after reheating.
- Do not assume a container is oven-safe: transfer food to an oven-safe dish unless the container is labelled oven-safe. Microwave only in microwave-safe containers.
Dish-specific notes
General guidance, under owner review. These notes are general food-safety guidance for each kind of dish. Chittagong Kitchen is reviewing them against its actual packaging and preparation methods — follow any instructions on your packaging if they differ.
| Dish type | Store | Reheat |
|---|---|---|
| Meat curries (beef, chicken, mutton) | Refrigerate within 2 hours; use within 2 to 4 days. | Stovetop or microwave to 74°C throughout, stirring. |
| Daal, lentils and soups | Refrigerate within 2 hours; use within 2 to 3 days. | Bring to a rolling boil while stirring. |
| Rice, khichuri, biryani and pulao | Cool quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours; use promptly. Never leave rice cooling slowly at room temperature — the spores that cause rice food poisoning survive cooking, and reheating does not remove the toxin they produce. | Reheat until steaming throughout, only once. |
| Bhorta and bhaji (vegetable dishes) | Refrigerate within 2 hours; use within 2 to 4 days. | Heat to 74°C throughout. |
| Fried items (begun bhaji, samosa, tikka) | Best eaten fresh. If refrigerated, use within 2 to 4 days. | Heat until hot throughout; crispness will not fully return. |
Sources
Health Canada, “Food safety and you”: fridge 4°C or below, freezer −18°C or below, danger zone 4°C to 60°C, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, use refrigerated leftovers within 2 to 4 days, reheat to 74°C, do not reheat more than once. Read the Health Canada guidance →