Heating "ready to eat" food

[jsab500]

Is there any chance that someone that understands the subject could tell me, whether food that is "ready to eat", if heated needs to be heated properly? And if so, why?

I know that some people might be tempted to just say to heat it properly to be safe, but I'm not interested in that; I'm interested in the actual facts.

It seems to me that anything that is labelled "ready to eat" (and well before its use by date of course) must necessarily have a very small number of bacteria. I've found that apparently at their favourite temperature, the relevant bacteria will double their numbers in 15 minutes. Therefore, if I heated something for 10 minutes that should really be heated for 15 or 20, then the worst that could happen is that the bacteria numbers would double, which would mean that there's still a very small number.

If there is anything else going on that I am missing, please let me know.

Thanks very much,
James

 

[Rocklobster]

I think it is basically a quality thing. Heating it up changes the texture and improves palatability (i.e. melting cheese, softening the food.). Ready to eat is just precooked food. Just like the leftovers in your fridge, which you could eat cold if you wanted. I don't think bacteria is much of a problem. It might be if you let it sit, thawed out for a long period of time before consuming.

 

[Andy M.]

I think it is basically a quality thing. Heating it up changes the texture and improves palatability (i.e. melting cheese, softening the food.). Ready to eat is just precooked food. Just like the leftovers in your fridge, which you could eat cold if you wanted. I don't think bacteria is much of a problem. It might be if you let it sit, thawed out for a long period of time before consuming.

+1

Ready-to-eat means it's cooked and just needs to be heated. For example, chili is served hot. If you bought canned or frozen chili it's ready-to-eat but requires heating to be served as chili is normally served. The heating time is just what's required to heat it through.

 

[GLC]

Righto. It's not "ready to eat" if heating it does anything more than increase the temperature to the satisfying norm. If heating is required to bring about any other substantial change that makes it - well - ready to eat, it's not "ready to eat." A precooked meat patty is "ready to eat." Heating just brings it to normal cooked meat temperature. Vegetables in a steaming bag can be eaten right out of the bag but need heat to change their texture and flavor. Not "ready to eat."

It's not a clear-cut thing in every case. "Heat and serve" may simply bring it to serving temperature, but it can also mean that the cheese topping is melted, and cheesy filling consolidates properly.