In the ‘70s in Alaska, my boss’ wife worked for the state and had something to do with feeding children. She’d get calls in the middle of the night to arrange to get a moose hit by the Alaska Railroad. A moose would feed a bunch of kids.
When I was in school my favorite lunch was a fried egg sandwich with mustard. Of course, by lunch time it was room temperature and I never died - not even once.
“by lunch time it was room temperature and I never died”
The main meal for my Grandmother (born in 1890) was the noon meal, AKA dinner. She would put the leftovers in the cold oven. She just knew how long they could sit there and still be good. No one ever got sick.
You know, I look back at those days, and compared to now, what in the hell happened?
We go crazy now insisting that restaurants and other food service keep either hot or cold foods that are fine at room temperature through the day.
The USDA simply advises that all vaguely fresh prepared food, except I suppose unpeeled fruit and peanut butter sandwiches be thrown out if left out for two hours or more. Way overboard.