Have you ever heard of the “Temperature Danger Zone”? If you’re like many, the term might be new to you. So, let’s take a closer look.

I have written several blogs on food safety and how to avoid a foodborne illness. But, in this blog, let’s focus on something very specific and something many don’t even think about: the Temperature Danger Zone. Before we do, though, remember that there are many ways food can become unsafe to consume. Some more common mistakes or risk factors that can cause illness are behaviors such as failing to cook food to its proper internal temperature, not refrigerating foods promptly, cross-contamination, poor hygiene, and more.

So, what is the Temperature Danger Zone of food? One way to think of it is to think about yourself. As a human being, you enjoy and are comfortable in a certain temperature range. Outside of that, you struggle (or worse). That’s also true for microorganisms. The Temperature Danger Zone, then, is that comfort zone for harmful microorganisms, the temperature range that allows them to grow most rapidly. This danger zone sits at 41-140 F (or, 5-60 C).

Given that danger zone, it’s important to keep our refrigerators set between 35 to 40 F (1.6-4.4 C). But, it’s also important to keep food out of the Temperature Danger Zone, or only allow it for as short of a time as possible. For food to remain safe, our foods need to be held at proper temperatures:

• Frozen foods: hold at 0 F (-18 C) or lower
• Cold foods: hold at 41 F (5 C) or lower*
• Hot foods: hold at 135 F (57 C) or higher

Here are some tips to follow at home:

• Keep a refrigerator thermometer in your refrigerator to monitor its internal temperature.
• Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of food.
• Thaw food in your refrigerator and not on the countertop.
• When cooling leftovers, place food in batches of two or more dishes to cool faster.
• Cool and store leftovers in containers that have more surface area.
• Never keep perishable foods or leftovers at room temperature for longer than two hours.
• Cool leftovers and refrigerate within 2 hours.
• Avoid overloading your refrigerator. Cold air needs room to circulate.

One last thought: remember that bacteria that cause foodborne illness cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted. So: When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

* This post has been updated to correct an inadvertently listed temperature range to store/hold cold foods.

Learn more

• Join a UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County food safety class/event
• Visit FightBac.org

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