Danger Zone

If there is one takeaway about food safety, it is understanding the danger zone.

The bacteria we are trying to remove during cooking generally thrive from around 40°F (4.4°C) to 125°F (51.6°C). They stop growing, but don’t start dying quickly, until around 130°F (54.4°C). That range between 40°F (4.4°C) and 125°F (51.6°C) is known as the “danger zone” (cue Top Gun music) and it’s often referred to in food safety circles.

Note that sometimes the danger zone is even considered to be up to 140°F (60°C) but that is based on building in a margin of error for restaurants, not the actual growth and death of the pathogens.