Question

last night it was your turn to clear the dinner table and clean up the kitchen. at midnight, you woke up and realized that you had forgotten to refrigerate the leftover potato salad. if the potato salad had been left out since 7 p.m., what should you do with the potato salad?
put the salad in the refrigerator immediately. refrigeration will kill any bacteria that grew in the salad.
taste the salad and if it tastes okay, it is safe to refrigerate it and eat it the next day.
throw the salad away, because there is no way to make it safe to eat again.
feed it to the dog, and if he likes it, it is still safe.

Explanation:

Potato salad contains ingredients like mayonnaise which can support rapid bacterial growth when left out at room - temperature for an extended time (more than 2 hours in the 'danger zone' of 40 - 140°F or 4 - 60°C). Refrigeration does not kill bacteria, only slows their growth. Tasting is not a reliable way to determine safety as harmful bacteria may not affect taste. Feeding it to a dog is also not advisable as it can make the dog sick.

Answer:

C. Throw the salad away, because there is no way to make it safe to eat again.