The health experts WCMY News spoke to say refrigerated Thanksgiving leftovers need to go soon. OSF Healthcare Registered Dietician Erin Hanley says four days is the maximum time to keep something in the refrigerator.
Hanley says you can’t rely on your senses to know that the food is getting risky. Early on, there can be enough bacteria to make you sick, but not enough to make the food smell, taste, or look bad.
At the LaSalle County Health Department, Health Educator Jenny Barrie says the same thing about refrigerated food. She says frozen food can last longer. But you would usually want to eat it within a few months before its tastiness and texture break down.