How to Tell If Leftover Pizza or Dough Is Safe to Eat

Saving and eating leftover pizza is important to avoid creating food waste — and to making your future self happy with leftover pizza.

Whether you have some leftover homemade pizza or a pie from a pizzeria, it's important to recognize the signs and smells of a pizza that is still safe to eat or may be harmful to your health.

If you have a particularly sensitive stomach or other health concerns, and you're at all worried that your pizza is no longer good, it's best to be safe, trust your gut, and compost the leftovers. Otherwise, the recommendations below should help you discern whether the leftover pizza in your fridge is still safe to eat, even if a certain aroma arises.

Even if the leftover pizza in your fridge has only been there for a day or two, the unpleasant smell coming from the pizza may actually be a cue that your food has spoiled, according to Tasting Table. At this point, it may be safer to compost the pizza instead.

In the future, you can avoid having your leftover pizza become overrun with odorous bacteria by refrigerating your leftovers immediately and not letting them sit out on the counter for too long.

According to Tasting Table, a pizza that is no longer safe to eat may simply be visually unappetizing, which is another sign to compost it. Especially if mold is visible, this is an instant red flag to discard your leftover pizza. If the leftovers also look dry and generally less appetizing than usual, it may be safest to compost them.

The Chicago staple Pequod’s Pizza mentions mold, unusual appearances, and a taste that just seems "off," as reasons to toss leftover pizza immediately.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food safety guide on takeout foods, pizza can be safely stored in a refrigerator for three to four days, or one to two months in the freezer. But if your leftover pizza is showing any of the above signs of spoilage within that window, toss it to be safe.

According to the LAW Restaurant blog, the usual suspects, like appearance, odor, and texture, are red flags that your dough has gone bad. An offensive smell emanating from your dough, a change in color to a grey hue, and a wet, slimy texture are all signs that the dough is likely rotten.

According to the blog Kickass Baker, fresh pizza dough stored properly in the fridge typically lasts for about three to five days.

Pizza dough supplier DeIorio's states that frozen raw pizza dough can last up to three months in the freezer. When you're ready to cook it, make sure to follow manufacturer instructions (or instructions you find online) on how to safely thaw your dough. According to Ooni Pizza Ovens, there are different methods for defrosting your dough in the microwave, on the counter, in the fridge, and more.