How does the Delay Time function work, and are there any safety restrictions?

The Delay Time function allows you to delay the start of cooking by up to 8 hours in half-hour increments. Press the DELAY TIME button to set the desired delay, then select your cooking program and time, and press START/STOP. However, do not leave perishable foods such as meat, poultry, fish, cheese, or dairy products at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or more than 1 hour when the room temperature is above 90°F), so the delay should not exceed 1–2 hours when cooking with these foods. (Page 15)