Ham deli meat is a type of meat product also known as lunchmeat, sandwich meat, or sliced meat. It is most often used to make sandwiches, and because of that, it isn’t uncommon to have it out of the fridge for some time when you’re making a lot of them. And that may leave you wondering:
How long can ham deli meat be left out? Ham deli meat can be left out for only two hours. According to the USDA, it simply isn’t safe to eat any ham deli meat left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.
This is hardly everything there is to be told about this topic, though, so let’s not waste any more time and take a more in-depth look at this interesting topic!
Table of Contents
Does deli meat go bad if not refrigerated?
Yes, deli meat goes bad if not refrigerated, and it starts to happen pretty quick too. In fact, the USDA says that it isn’t safe to eat deli meat that was left out for more than two hours.
Therefore, you should always refrigerate your deli meat if you plan to store it for a longer time because otherwise, you may get sick from eating it.
How long can ham deli meat be left out?
Ham deli meat is made to be refrigerated (as we’ve explained above), but it can last for some time, even on its own. What matters the most regarding its ability not to turn bad when left out is whether you’ve already opened it or not.
Unopened ham deli meat
Although an unopened pack of deli meat cannot turn bad that quickly, it still won’t last for a long time without refrigerating. Unopened deli meat can be left out for something like three hours, even though it’s not recommended to let it sit out for more than two hours.
Opened ham deli meat
After you open your ham deli meat, you should store it in the fridge all the time because it can start to turn bad pretty quickly when it sits out. Opened ham deli meat shouldn’t be left out for more than an hour!
How can you tell if deli ham is bad?
Telling if your deli ham is bad is a straightforward task – firstly, take a good sniff. If you notice anything weird in its smell, you rather shouldn’t touch it. Aditionally, take a good look, too and if you see something weird, throw it away as well.
Why does deli meat go bad so fast?
The reason deli meat goes bad so fast is simple – it’s moist as hell. A bit of extra moisture is usually used while making deli meat, and since meat is moist on its own, it means deli meat is hugely prone to spoiling.
What happens when you eat bad deli meat?
Just like with any other food, when you bad deli meat, you might very likely get food poisoned. So although it isn’t assured to happen, you may have a stomach ache or diarrhea when you eat bad deli meat.
Because of that, it is recommended to throw away every piece of deli meat that seems or smells weird, or that was simply left out for too long.
What happens when you eat ham deli meat left out overnight?
As we have explained above, not even an unopened pack of ham deli meat can stay good for more than a few hours without refrigerating. Therefore, eating ham deli meat that was left out overnight may get you sick.
That means you can experience some of the classic symptoms of food poisoning like vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach ache. Hence, you should never touch ham deli meat left out for too long.
Summary
Ham deli meat is an extremely popular meat product, and just like any other meat product, it should always be stored in the refrigerator. However, it still doesn’t turn bad immediately when left out.
An unopened pack of ham deli meat can sit out the fridge for even three hours, but generally, you shouldn’t leave your ham deli meat out for more than two hours because it’s very moist and may start to turn bad.
Related:
- How Long Can a Sandwich Sit Out Unrefrigerated?
- How Long Can Egg McMuffin Sit Out?
- How Long Can a Subway Sandwich Sit Out
- How Long Can a Chick-fil-A Sandwich Sit Out
Resources
Image credits – Canva
