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FOOD SAFETY TIPS :: HOW BACTERIA GROWS IN FOOD
 The
Danger Zone is the temperature when bacteria grow fastest in
potentially hazardous foods (i.e. milk, meat, and cooked rice). A
potentially hazardous food is any food that has a low acid content, has a
lot of protein, and is moist. The Danger Zone temperatures are between 41oF
and 140oF. Some bacteria multiply or double every fifteen
minutes.
For example if we take a piece of cooked turkey and leave it sitting
out at room temperature (which is about 80oF) and it has one
harmful bacterium, this is how the bacterium will grow:
- Fifteen minutes later, there are 2
bacteria.
- After thirty minutes, there are 4
bacteria.
- After forty-five minutes, there are 8
bacteria.
- After one hour, there are 16
bacteria.
- After two hours in the danger zone, there are
256 bacteria.
- After three hours in the danger zone, there are
4,096 bacteria.
- After four hours in the danger zone, there are
65,536 bacteria.
It is unknown exactly how many bacteria it takes to make us sick. For
example, some people can become ill after eating food with one bacterium,
while another person does not become ill when they eat food with two
million bacteria. It just depends on the general health of the person
involved. People who are at higher risk for food borne illness are young
children, the elderly, and people who already have problems with their
immune systems.
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