If you eat old meat and it's actually spoiled then you can get sick and suffer food poisoning although if you eat old meat that is still actually good then nothing will happen.
Spoiled meat will taste very sour or tangy and you would not want to eat it.
The spoiled meat will also smell very sour.
After eating spoiled meat you will usually get sick within 24 to 48 hours although some people may get sick sooner.
The signs of food poisoning from spoiled meat include.
Bloody diarrhea.
Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days.
High fever (temperature over 102°F)
Vomiting so often that you cannot keep liquids down.
You cannot eat spoiled meat if you cook it.
The meat that has spoiled will still contain bacteria that can make you sick or even cause deadly food poisoning which cannot be cooked out.
Spoiled meat should always be thrown out.
GREY meat is not bad if it's only the interior of the meat is GREY.
GREY meat is safe to eat although it may not taste as good.
The meat turning GREY is due to oxidization but is not harmful.
If you eat meat that has been left out too long and it has grown bacteria then you can get food poisoning from the bacteria which can lead to stomach upset, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramping and in rare and more serious cases death.
If meat has been left out longer than a few hours for raw meat or longer than 3 hours for cooked meat it should not be consumed.
If cooked meat is left out too long then the cooked meat can start to grow bacteria and spoil which can make you sick if you eat it.
Cooked meat can stay out at room temperature for around 3 hours which is longer than raw meat can stay out as raw meat grows bacteria more rapidly than cooked meat.
Raw meat should be kept refrigerated until ready to cook it but cooked meat is okay at room temperature for around 3 hours.
Meat that has been cooked can sit out for 3 hours although raw meat should not and cannot sit out for 3 hours.
Raw meat should never sit out at room temperature longer than 2 hours or bacteria can grow rapidly on the raw meat.
But cooked meat can last longer at room temperature but still should be kept refrigerated if not eating it within 2 hours.
Chilled food can be kept out of the fridge for up to 2 hours.
If your not eating or serving the chilled food within 2 hours it should be kept refrigerated and chilled to prevent spoilage.
Foods you can pack for lunch without refrigeration are.
Soba Noodle Salad.
Scrambled Chickpea Pita.
Ham and Cheddar Muffin.
Sandwich.
Rice Cake and Nut Butter Snack Box.
Lentil Salad.
Salads.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches.
Peanut Butter Sandwiches.
Peanut Noodles.
Marinated White Beans.
Other fruits and vegetables.
Sandwiches don't require any refrigeration if you're gonna eat them within a few hours or 4 to 6 hours at most.
To make a sandwich the night before without getting soggy put large pieces of lettuce or cheese and meats between the bread and then put any wet ingredients between the lettuce or cheese and meat.
You can also toast the bread to help prevent the bread from getting soggy.
Then store the sandwiches in Ziploc bags or wrap them in some plastic or place the sandwiches in sandwich bags.
To keep sandwiches from drying out they should be wrapped in some tin foil and or placed in a Ziploc bag.
You can also keep the sandwiches from drying out by wrapping them in some plastic wrap.
The Ziploc bag, tin foil or plastic wrap will help keep the moisture in the bread and keep them from drying out.
You can also use sandwich bags to keep the sandwiches from drying out.
To keep a sandwich fresh without a refrigerator you can wrap the sandwich with tinfoil and then put the sandwich in a Ziploc bag.
The sandwich will remain fresh the next morning or until you eat it the same day.
You can also place the sandwich in an ice chest or cooler or insulated lunch bag after chilling it.
To keep a sandwich fresh in a lunchbox and to prevent the sandwich from becoming soggy you should toast the bread first and then add mayo or mustard or other condiments in between slices of cheese or meat instead of to the bread.
Also dry any produce thoroughly before adding the produce or lettuce to the sandwich so there's no additional moisture that can make the sandwich soggy.
Also place the sandwich in a Ziploc bag to keep it fresh.
Sandwiches can be made up to 48 hours in advance although it's best to make the sandwiches the night before as they will have the best flavor.
Seal the sandwiches in a Ziploc bag to keep them moist and refrigerate them to prevent spoilage.
You can make a sandwich the night before and then store them in sealed Ziploc bags to prevent them from drying out.
Then store the sandwiches in the Ziploc bags in the refrigerator overnight.
A sandwich in a Ziploc bag is good for around 4 to 6 hours depending on what is on the sandwich when it's left out at room temperature.
When kept in the refrigerator the sandwich in the Ziploc bag is good for around 4 days.
If you pack a lunch and have sandwiches in a Ziploc bag they should be eaten within 4 hours to 6 hours or you run the risk of getting food poisoning.
Most people will eat their packed lunch or sandwich in Ziploc bag soon enough so that it does not grow the bacteria.
Although packing your sandwich in a Ziploc bag will prevent your sandwich from being exposed to the air, it will also lock in condensation.
To store your sandwich without leaving it soggy, wrap it in parchment paper or waxed paper.
Most sandwiches can last from 3-5 days in the fridge.
The sandwiches that last the longest are the ones with dry and less perishable ingredients, such as shredded cabbage and carrots, hard cheeses, tough greens like kale, etc.
Meat and chicken sandwiches can last an average of 4 days in the fridge too.
According to food safety guidelines you can only keep the sandwich at room temperature for 4 hours.
That's how long it takes food that should be refrigerated to grow a dangerous amount of bacteria and germs.