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You left the deli turkey on the counter while you were making lunch, and now it’s been sitting out for a few hours. Or you’ve purchased a package and are wondering how long it will actually be good for once it gets home.<\/p>\n
Do deli turkeys need to be refrigerated?<\/strong><\/p>\nShort answer:<\/strong> Yes, always and without exception. Deli turkey is a perishable ready-to-eat food whose temperature must remain at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. There is no shelf-stable version of deli turkey. It should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It’s not just a quality issue. Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen associated with deli meats, can grow on turkeys in the refrigerator. Proper cold storage slows this down. Room temperature speeds this up dramatically.<\/em><\/p>\nSee the Food Storage Guide for more information on storing deli meats.<\/p>\n
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key takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n\nDeli turkey must be refrigerated at all times, open or closed<\/li>\n Store at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit<\/li>\n Left on for more than 2 hours: Discard<\/li>\n Keep in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not on the door<\/li>\n Use within 3 to 5 days of purchase (counter-sliced) or within 3 to 5 days of opening (pre-packaged)<\/li>\n At-risk individuals should reheat to 165\u00b0F before eating regardless of freshness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nDo deli turkeys need to be refrigerated before opening?<\/h2>\nYes. Deli turkey pre-packed in a sealed vacuum pack should be kept refrigerated from the moment of purchase. Unlike shelf-stable cured products like whole dry salami or pepperoni sticks, deli turkeys have no shelf-stable phase. It was cooked, cut, packaged and kept in a refrigerated case in the store. It remains in your refrigerator from purchase to every use.<\/p>\n
A sealed pre-packaged turkey can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator if it is kept consistently cold and the use by date supports it. The sealed packaging and controlled processing environment give it a little more safety than counter-sliced \u200b\u200bturkey, but the refrigeration requirement is the same.<\/p>\n
How long can a deli turkey sit out?<\/h2>\nThe USDA 2-hour rule applies in full effect. Deli turkey left at room temperature for more than 2 hours should be removed. On a hot day above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, that period is reduced to 1 hour. This is not a conservative estimate. This refers to the rate at which bacteria, including Listeria, multiply in the temperature danger zone between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n
The 2 hour rule is cumulative. If you put the turkey out during lunch, put it back in, and then take it out again during dinner, that time period increases. If the total time it is out of the refrigerator during the day is more than 2 hours, remove it.<\/p>\n
listeria factor<\/h2>\nDeli turkey needs to be handled more carefully than most refrigerated foods because Listeria monocytogenes can grow on it even in the refrigerator. Most pathogens are largely inhibited by cold temperatures. No listeria. It grows slowly at refrigerator temperatures, meaning that a turkey that has been stored properly for several days can accumulate Listeria to unsafe levels even without showing visible signs of spoilage.<\/p>\n
That’s why both the USDA and CDC recommend using deli turkeys within 3 to 5 days of purchase or opening and not going beyond that window, even if the product looks and smells good. That’s why the CDC explicitly advises pregnant women, adults age 65 and older, and immunocompromised individuals to either avoid serving deli turkey cold or reheat it to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (steaming hot) before eating.<\/p>\n