Keep Food Safe: Either Hot or Cold (2281)

Temperature and time influence the growth of bacteria, including those that cause food poisoning. Like other living things, bacteria need food, warmth, moisture and time to grow and multiply.

A standard rule recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to keep hot foods hot (above 140 degrees Fahrenheit) and cold foods cold (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit). The "dangerous temperature zone" is between these temperatures. Food may not be safe to eat if you hold it for more than two to three hours at this temperature range where bacteria can rapidly multiply.

Food can reach the two- to three-hour time limit cumulatively. For example, leaving cooked meat for one hour at room temperature, refrigerating it for several hours, then leaving out for another hour (without proper reheating) is comparable to leaving it out for two consecutive hours. Refrigerating or freezing cooked meat inhibits bacteria from increasing, but any already on the meat will remain alive. These will multiply when you put the meat back into the danger zone.

At danger zone temperatures, bacteria can double their numbers every 20 to 30 minutes.

To sum up, keep foods out of the temperature danger zone of 41 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember to figure time periods that food is held at room temperature cumulatively. Cooked foods should be rapidly cooled to a refrigerator temperature of 40 degrees. Reheat hot foods quickly to 165 degrees Fahrenheit before eating. 

For more information on this topic, consult your local extension office.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

Feel free to forward, post or reprint any of the "Solutions" in their entirely, but please credit http://www.solutions.psu.edu/ as the original source of information, and please do not change the content.