Danger zone is 5-60°C. (Temperatures are internal).
2hr/4hr rule: Potentially hazardous food can be served only if cumulative <4hrs in the danger zone; can be refrigerated only if cumulative <2hrs in danger zone.
Food is considered cooked at ≥75°C, and this resets the clock for the 2hr/4hr rule. (Many exceptions apply permitting lower temperature processes for specific cases).
To refrigerate cooked food – <2hrs @ 21-60°C + <4hrs @ 5-21°C. Typically refrigerate ≤5 days, some things like lighty cooked eggs <24hrs. (2hr/4hr rule above starts only when removed from this refrigeration).
Some foods can be fridged for >5 days, and should be reheated to ≥90°C in this case.
So, the above is for food businesses so is very risk-averse and does have some safety margin built-in — if a customer buys a takeaway curry which has been on display at 50°C for 3h55m they aren’t expected to eat it in 5 mins!
If you contaminate cooked food with uncooked ingredients or unclean equipment then the rules are out the window. Same goes if it’s something like a stir-fry where some veggies were added at the end and not fully cooked.
TL;DR: probably fine, but it depends.
Rules of thumb in the food industry in Australia:
– https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/business/food-safety
So, the above is for food businesses so is very risk-averse and does have some safety margin built-in — if a customer buys a takeaway curry which has been on display at 50°C for 3h55m they aren’t expected to eat it in 5 mins!
If you contaminate cooked food with uncooked ingredients or unclean equipment then the rules are out the window. Same goes if it’s something like a stir-fry where some veggies were added at the end and not fully cooked.