What is the danger zone in which bacteria can grow?

Question

Thanks heaps! ;-)

Answer 1

The temperatures in between 41ºF and 140ºF are in the "Danger Zone." Bacteria will not grow in temps colder or hotter than these.

Answer 2

The "Danger Zone" (40 °F-140 °F)
Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 ° and 140 °F,

Answer 3

Strangely enough body temp (around 36-37 C) is in the middle of the ideal zone for bacterial growth. Between 8 and 55 degrees centigrade is the danger zone for food. That is why fridges are recommended to be no warmer than 4 C and why food should be heated to not less than 70 C, and maintained at not less than 60C for cooked food. At least that is what the food regulations here recommend.

***I assume the first answer is in Farenhiet - which would make the zones about the same.

Answer 4

It's now considered to be 41F to 140F; it used to be 40F to 140F.

It's not that bacteria can only grow in that zone; it's that bacteria that affect us will multiply *fastest* in that zone.

Most of the bacteria that are most dangerous to us, of course, multiply fastest at temperatures near 98.6F. A bacteria that loves human body temperature will find us a walking pile of meat, ready to chow down on.

Our bodies heat themselves up when we get an infection, in an attempt to create inhospitable conditions for the bacteria to multiply. That means that if you have a localized infection on your arm or leg, that you'll have a localized hotspot, and if you have a general infection of the whole body, you'll have a fever.

Other bacteria, though, can chow down on our food, and even though they aren't likely to cause an infection, they can create toxins that poison us.

The "danger zone" is a compromise. Food hotter than 140F dries out quickly and becomes unpalatable. In addition, there is a burn/scalding hazard, which anyone who ever bought coffee at McDonalds in the bad old days knows about. Food generally stays palatable as long at 40F as at 60F, or perhaps even longer, but ice crystals start forming below 35F, so we strive to quickly reach 35-40F for cold foods and 140-150F for hot foods.

Answer 5

Grows between 40°F to 140°F (4°C to 60°C), as a general rule.

Most food handling establishments have to be aware of these ranges in order to prevent the obvious heath risks.

Answer 6

120-140 degrees Fahrenheit

(above 140 kills most bacteria and anything below 40 degrees Fahrenheit kills bacteria)

although when youre talking about meat then its higher, from 145-170 degrees