What is the danger zone for bacteria?
Similarly one may ask, what happens to bacteria in the danger zone?
As the name suggests, the danger zone refers to the most dangerous temperature for foods, between 40°F and 140°F. This range of temperature is dangerous because it's below the temperature at which heat destroys bacteria (above 160°F), yet above the cooling range (below 40°F) where the growth of bacteria is slowed.
Correspondingly, why is it called the danger zone?
The temperature range between 5°C and 60°C is known as Temperature Danger Zone. This is because in this zone food poisoning bacteria can grow to unsafe levels that can make you sick.
The temperature danger zone is food temperatures between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit, and the most rapid bacteria growth occurs between 70 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit. The longer food sits in this temperature range, the greater the risk that bacteria will begin to grow on your food.