If it is being kept at a proper and maintained simmer of 185°F to 205°F, that shouldn't be an issue. If it is at 140°F or lower for any length of time, then th

If it is being kept at a proper and maintained simmer of 185°F to 205°F, that shouldn't be an issue. If it is at 140°F or lower for any length of time, then there's an issue. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety#_Danger https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and... https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/slow-cookers-and-food-safety https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and... https://www.food-safety.com/articles/4722-the-danger-zone-reevaluated https://www.food-safety.com/articles/4722-the-danger-zone-re... This all is about keeping a disciplined kitchen. That never ending stew if it is maintained properly, then maybe. Consider how many kitchens rack up obvious health code violations and then ask if they're disciplined enough to make sure they're not having problems with the non-obvious ones. The soup that was started a few hours ago starts with a completely sanitized initial condition and has a history to consider of a few hours. The never ending stew has a much longer history to consider.