system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 why we are told food shouldn't sit out for more than two hours, but when I was growing up, my turkey sandwiches sat in my locker for far longer with no negative consequences?
gpt
It's more of a better safe than sorry suggestion. Food left outside will start to grow bacteria after a couple hours. Whether the type of bacteria growing will be enough to do damage depends on certain factors (environment, type of food, temperature, etc). A cup of milk left outside for two hours will most likely give you stomach problems, while a turkey sandwich might not.