Customer Care and Help
Why did the upper limit of the temperature danger zone change from 140°F to 135°F?
Recently, the FDA lowered the holding temperature for hot potentially hazardous food from 140°F to 135°F based on input from the Conference for Food Protection. At the 2002 CFP, it was determined that enough scientific information existed to warrant this temperature change. Technical studies of key foodborne pathogens show that the upper limits of their growth range are well below 140°F (e.g. Bacillus cereus 122°F; Clostridium perfringens 127.5F; Clostridium botulinum 118°F; Staphylococcus aureus 122°F). The temperature change was incorporated into the 2003 supplement to the 2001 FDA Food Code.
The change to the hot holding temperature affects the holding temperature for plant food, the storage temperature of in-use utensils, and the cooling temperature parameters. Other changes to the 2001 FDA Food Code can be found at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc01-sup.html.
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