Cooked food (+seafood) left out overnight - common practice in some parts of the world?
I know I'm going to get panned for this… ;)
Eating something left out overnight can only kill you once; every other time it doesn't.
If bacteria were growing in it they've had sufficient time to build to harmful levels. This is not a 'good thing'.
However, people have been eating last night's leftovers for today's lunch since time immemorial &amp; most of them lived to tell the tale.
Food safety authorities write guidelines for restaurants &amp; commercial kitchens, reducing the potential risk as far as is possible. Restaurants must follow these guidelines because not doing so can kill people.
If it goes awry in a restaurant it can kill many people.
Killing people is not good for business.
These authorities say that keeping food at higher than 4°C &amp; under 60°C for more than two hours [cumulative] is no longer guaranteed to be safe.
This is true.
If it's your own leftovers, it's your call.
Most people do it, most people survive. Some don't.
It's a numbers game. The only one at risk is you.
Right - time to microwave last night's curry leftovers…