I know what you’re thinking: "But my burger was brown, so it’s fine!" Nope. Color is a lie. A burger can look brown and still be crawling with E. coli if it didn’t hit 160°F thoroughly. It’s like judging a book by its cover—except the book can give you food poisoning.
Similarly, that clear juice you see running out of a chicken breast? That doesn’t mean it’s safe. Clear juice is not a food safety indicator. Only a probe thermometer—your new best friend—can tell you the real story. Don't trust your eyes; trust the numbers.
Can you cook e coli out of meat - Metro Cooking Dallas
Also, here’s a painful irony: reheating leftovers that were contaminated won’t always save you. If the food sat out too long and the bacteria produced toxins, heating it again kills the germs but leaves the toxins. And toxins are the jerks that make you puke. So if the potato salad sat in the sun for four hours, just toss it. (I know, the waste hurts, but not as much as the bathroom floor hurts.)
