To prevent foodborne illness, cooked food should be consumed right away or refrigerated or frozen within hour(s).

To prevent foodborne illness, cooked food should be consumed right away or refrigerated or frozen within 24 to 48 hour(s).

Foodborne illness occurs when we consume contaminated food with bacteria. Therefore it is advised that food should be eaten fresh and after well cooked. Different food have different life expectancy according to their physical and chemical environment.

A food like fruits can be stored for weeks in a refrigerator and food like ground meat should be consumed within 24-48 hours during refrigeration. This difference is because of water activity and perishability of food items.

So the food items like ground meat and sausages should be consumed within 24 to 48 hours during refrigeration.