Where do people get the idea that?

I've never heard of the 4 hour rule and I've taken classes and do a lot of reading of blogs, cooking forums and magazines.

My guess is a caterer probably told you about the 4 hour rule. That's about the average time for a job.

To be honest, even though I know the "rules", when I have a party I tend to leave the food out (unheated and no ice) so people can snack. However, I've noticed people tend do most of the eating within the first hour - meats, sides and "heavy" dishes. After the first hour, the crackers, desserts and fruit trays tend to be visited the most.

Edit...

Crock pot with chili overnight! Yikes!

Although I think some of the food safety rules are very conservative, especially for a home cook, but chili in a crock pot left out overnight is definitely bad in my book.

Interesting. I did a little google search and found many references to a '2 hour rule'. Below is my google search. The terms could probably be changed or moved around for different results. I suppose the thinking is that if the food gets up to temperature (say 160 degrees) and is hot enough, that it takes some time to cool down to below 140 degrees. But four hours seems like too much time and 2 hours seems likely to be too much time as well...it wouldn't take that long for it to get below 140.

The longest I've left something out to cool to room temp was around 20 minutes. I don't know where 4 hours came from, it doesn't sound safe, though. Maybe that's a max rule of thumb for caterers? But imagine if it was potato salad? eeww.

I've never heard of that. It must be related to the 5 second rule. If your drop your peanut butter toast on the kitchen floor with the peanut butter side down, if you pick it up before 5 seconds pass it's safe to eat. Yuck!

well you contradict yourself

and confuse the Question.

what do you call a STORE the most open food storage place..

the meat locker with staff in and out,,, the door left open most of the day ???

What is your point.

None of the produce in my stores are iced and there is NO chlorine in our city water but lots of silica/??? the mushrooms sit there and bloom for days it is seldom you find a veil intact

most fresh food is unrefrigerated for days Cooled But open.

chef perhaps they make that a rule for amateur cooks who may or may not cook stuff properly ,se vous plais?

Same place they get the idea Buddha will help them with their problems.....

other stupid people