After a week, get rid of those Thanksgiving leftovers, experts say

Nov. 28--Do you still have slices of turkey and stuffing sitting in your refrigerator?

You probably shouldn't.

That's the message from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which says it's time to discard those Thanksgiving leftovers. Nov. 29 is National Throw Out Your Leftovers Day (or a week after Thanksgiving) but Nov. 26 which was Monday was the last day to safely consume those refrigerated leftovers.

The CDC's website states that leftovers can be refrigerated for three to four days for safe eating. But beyond those that, it's recommended that people toss those items or "if you store leftovers in the freezer, they will be of best quality within two to six months," according to the CDC.

The CDC website's list which kinds of food should be refrigerated or frozen and for what length of time.

For example, salads which include egg, chicken, ham, tuna and macaroni can be refrigerated for about three to five days, while leftover cooked meat and poultry can be refrigerated for three to four days or frozen two to six months.

To see the full chart, visit www.foodsafety.gov and search for storage times.

On Dec. 12, the CDC will have a "Holiday Food Safety Twitter Chat" from 2 to 3 p.m. Search the hashtag #CDCFoodChat at that time.

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