Factsheet Dangzone

PO Box 2223 902 424-1173 T
Agriculture Halifax, Nova Scotia 902 424-3948 F

Food Protection and Enforcement Division, Food Safety Section B3J 3C4 www.gov.ns.ca/agri/
The Temperature Danger Zone

The most important factor for safe handling of food
and preventing food borne illness is keeping food
Protecting Foods from the
out of the Danger Zone. Nearly 3/4 of all food- Danger Zone
related illnesses are the result of poor temperature The best way to protect food from the Danger Zone is
control. Following the simple rule “Keep hot foods to:
hot and cold foods cold” can prevent many food
• Arrange shopping to get food home quickly and
borne illnesses from occurring.
into the refrigerator.
• Keep food cold by storing in a refrigerator at 4°C
What is the Temperature (40°F) or below. Don't overload the refrigerator. If
Danger Zone? necessary remove foods such as soft drinks or
pickles to make room for potentially hazardous
Bacteria that cause food borne illness multiply foods.
quickest between 4°C and 60°C (40°F - 140°F). The
Danger Zone is this temperature range in which • Keep food hot by maintaining it at 60°C (140°F) or
bacteria and spoilage bacteria grow quickest. Lower higher using a stove or steam table.
temperatures prevent the bacteria from growing to • Thaw foods in the refrigerator or in cold water
dangerous levels. Temperatures above 60°C will kill changing the water every 30 minutes. If using a
the bacteria. Foods that allow the growth of bacteria, microwave to thaw raw foods, cook immediately.
causing food-borne illness are called “potentially • When cooking large meats or volumes of food, do
hazardous foods” and should be kept out of the it in one uninterrupted step. Check the internal
Danger Zone. These potentially hazardous food are: temperature with a thermometer.
• Meat, fish, or poultry, and foods containing these • Foods that are not being used immediately must be
such as casseroles, deli meats, salads and cooled quickly. Reducing large volumes of food
sandwiches and plan ahead dinners. into smaller portions will help in reducing cooling
• Eggs and other protein rich foods like soya bean times. Roasts, hams, or turkeys should be sliced
products and foods containing them such as while still hot and put in shallow pans, no more
quiche, soya milk, salads and casseroles. than two inches deep and then placed in the
refrigerator to cool. Containers of hot food can be
• Dairy products and foods containing dairy placed in a sink surrounded by ice or cold water for
products such as custards, soft cheeses, cream more rapid cooling. Do not fully cover the food
filled baked goods and dairy desserts. until it has cooled to 4°C (40°F).
• Fresh cut or peeled fruit or vegetables such as cut • Leftovers must be reheated to at least 74°C
melons, fruit salads (165°F).
• Cooked vegetables, beans, rice and pasta dishes.
• Shellfish (alive or cooked) and seafood or foods Is Food Left in the Danger Zone
containing seafood such as chowders, crab cakes.
• Sauces, gravy, and non commercial garlic in oil Save to Eat?
mixtures. If potentially hazardous foods are left in the danger
• Sprouts such as alfalfa and bean sprouts. zone for less than two hours, the food can be safely
refrigerated or used immediately. If the time exceeds
two hours in the danger zone, bacterial growth would
be greater and the food could be unsafe. Therefore
follow the two-hour rule and refrigerate, freeze or
consume the food within two hours of purchase or
preparation.
Page 1 Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture

Measuring Food Temperatures Recommended Internal
• Appearance and touch are not reliable indicators Cooking Temperatures
of safe temperatures. Taking the temperature of
the food using a proper food thermometer is the Pork, Veal, Lamb – 71°C (160°F)
only sure way of knowing that food is not in the Ground Meat – 71°C (160°F)
Danger Zone. Check the temperature of food with Whole chicken/turkey – 82°C (180°F)
either a metal stem probe or digital read type Chicken/turkey Stuffing (inside temp.) – 74°C (165°F)
thermometer. For more information on using food Chicken/turkey pieces – 77°C (170°F)
thermometers see “Food Thermometers for Safe Ground Poultry – 74°C (165°F)
Cooking” at http://www.gov.ns.ca/agri/ Beef steaks/roasts – 63°C (145°F) for medium rare,
foodsafety/pdfs/therm.pdf 71°C (160°F) for medium, or 77°C (170°F) for well
done.
• Checking the temperature of a refrigerator, can be
done using a stick-on thermometer stuck to the
inside wall of the unit or by hanging or placing a FightBac©
thermometer on a shelf. Thermometers should be
There are four simple rules for food safety that will
located near the door which is the warmest area of
help ensure an enjoyable celebration:
the refrigerator.
CLEAN wash hands, utensils and surfaces often
to keep everything clean and free of
bacteria
SEPARATE keep foods separate to avoid cross
contamination
COOK cook to proper temperatures
CHILL refrigerate foods promptly
For further information on food safety visit the

Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture
Food Safety website at
http://www.gov.ns.ca/agri/foodsafety/
Food Safety
is in your hands
Page 2 Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture

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PO Box 2223 902 424-1173 T

Agriculture Halifax, Nova Scotia 902 424-3948 F

The Temperature Danger Zone

Page 1 Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture

For further information on food safety visit the

Page 2 Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture

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