What are the common misunderstandings about handling takeaway and delivery food?
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
Takeaway and delivery became part of everyday life in Japan from 2020, and with them came the questions "how many hours is it safe?" and "can I eat it tomorrow?". Here is the answer, based on the food-poisoning prevention approach of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the hygiene rules that apply to the businesses.
What to base your judgement on
| Item | Detail | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Time at room temperature | Eat within 2 hours (within 1 hour if the air temperature is 30°C or above). Bacteria multiply between 10 and 60°C, and fastest at 30–40°C | MHLW, food-poisoning prevention |
| Leftovers | Refrigerate straight away (10°C or below), eat by the next day. Divide into small portions to cool | Same |
| Reheating | 75°C at the centre for at least 1 minute (until the whole dish is hot, stirring as you go) | Same |
| Never carry over | Sashimi and raw sushi, raw vegetable salad, soft-cooked egg dishes, cream-based dishes, onigiri rice balls shaped by hand | Same |
| The business side | Since June 2021, hygiene management along HACCP lines has been mandatory. Labelling takeaway food with a use-by date and storage method is not compulsory for over-the-counter sales, but guidelines call for it | MHLW |
| Delivery | The longer the delivery, the longer the food sits in the danger range. Check whether an insulated hot or cold bag is used, and eat as soon as it arrives | — |
| Containers | Check for a "microwave-safe" mark (電子レンジ可). Plastic containers deform when oily food is heated in them | See our storage-container article |
- In 2020 MHLW issued an alert on "preventing food poisoning from takeaway and delivery", asking businesses to label food "eat today" and pack cooling packs, and consumers to "eat straight away or refrigerate".
- The mechanism is the same as food poisoning from bentō lunch boxes (see our bentō article): food that is safe when it leaves the kitchen is decided by the temperatures it meets afterwards.
- Takeaway curry and stew are the classic case for Clostridium perfringens (see our slow-cooking article), and leaving them at room temperature is the greatest risk.
[Verify] Check the content of the MHLW alert on takeaway and delivery (2020) and the details of mandatory HACCP.
Misunderstanding 1｜Restaurant food is safe to leave out at home
Temperature control passes to the consumer the moment the food leaves the shop. Within 2 hours (1 hour in summer).
Misunderstanding 2｜Anything is fine the next day if it was in the fridge
Do not carry over raw food, soft-cooked eggs or cream-based dishes. Cooked dishes: by the next day, reheated through to the centre.
Misunderstanding 3｜The microwave kills the bacteria
If the food is only partly warm, the centre is still cold. Stir and heat the whole dish. Spores (Clostridium perfringens) survive, so not leaving the food out comes first.
Misunderstanding 4｜Delivery is safe because the rider keeps it cool
Whether food is kept hot or cold varies by platform and shop. Eating as soon as it arrives is the only sure method. In summer, you may decide against ordering raw food for delivery.
Misunderstanding 5｜The container can go straight into the microwave
Check for the "microwave-safe" mark. Oily dishes can exceed the container's heat limit. Transferring to a plate is the safe option.
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Sources
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), "Preventing food poisoning from takeaway and delivery" [テイクアウトやデリバリーの食中毒予防]
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/syokuchu/
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), "Institutionalisation of HACCP-based hygiene management" [HACCPに沿った衛生管理の制度化] (fully in force from June 2021)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000197196.html
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), "Six points for preventing food poisoning at home" [家庭でできる食中毒予防の6つのポイント]
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/www1/houdou/0903/h0331-1.html
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
About this article
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Some ingredients need thorough cooking. Eat raw only foods that are sold for raw consumption. If you have allergies, check the ingredients.
Sources
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