Restaurant USDA Food Temperature Danger Zone Factsheet Poster

“Danger Zone” (40 	°F - 140 	°F)	
Food Safety Information	
United States Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service	
Food Safety Questions?	
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FSIS’ automated response 
system can provide food safety 
information 24/7
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hours.	
Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline	
If you have a question 
about meat, poultry, or 
egg products, call the 
USDA Meat and Poultry 
Hotline toll free at 	 	
1-888-MPHotline	 	
(1-888-674-6854)	.	
The Hotline is open 
year-round	
 Monday through Friday 
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 	
ET (English or 	
Spanish). Recorded 	
food safety messages 	
are available 24 hours a 	
day. Check out the 	
FSIS Web site at 	
 www.fsis.usda.gov	. 	
The USDA is an equal opportunity	 provider and employer.Revised October 2011	
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the na	-	tion’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, whole	-	some, and correctly labeled and packaged.	
Send E-mail questions to 	[email protected]	.	
Leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria (such as 	Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella	 	
Enteritidis, 	Escherichia coli	 O157:H7, and 	Campylobacter	) to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness. 	
Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little 
as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the “Danger Zone.” 
 	
Keep Food Out of the “Danger 	
Zone”	
Never leave food out of refrigeration over 
2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 
°F, food should not be left out more than 1 
hour.	
•		Keep hot food hot — at or above 
140 °F. Place cooked food in chafing 
dishes, preheated steam tables, 
warming trays, and/or slow cookers.	
•		Keep cold food cold — at or below  
40 °F. Place food in containers on ice.	
Cooking	
Raw meat and poultry should always 
be cooked to a safe minimum internal 
temperature (see graphic). When roasting 
meat and poultry, use an oven temperature 
no lower than 325 °F. 	
If you aren’t going to serve hot food 
right away, it’s important to keep it 
at 	140 °F or above.	
Storing Leftovers	
One of the most common causes of 
foodborne illness is improper cooling 
of cooked foods. Bacteria can be 
reintroduced to food after it is safely 
cooked. For this reason leftovers 
must be put in shallow containers 
for quick cooling and refrigerated at 
40 °F	 or below within two hours.	
Reheating	
Foods should be reheated 
thoroughly to an internal 
temperature of 165 °F or until hot 
and steaming. In the microwave 
oven, cover food and rotate so it 
heats evenly.	
 	
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