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Handbook

The temperature danger zone: 4-60°C

The range where bacteria in food multiply fastest, and the two-hour rule.

Between +4°C and +60°C most food bacteria double every 20 minutes. Below it the fridge slows them down; above it cooking kills them. Every minute your cooked food spends in this range works against you.

Practical rules
  • Cooked food at room temperature — 2 hours max (1 hour if the room is above 30°C). After that: fridge or bin.
  • Do not put a big pot of hot food in the fridge whole: split it into smaller containers so it cools within 2 hours.
  • Defrost in the fridge, in cold water changed every half hour, or in the microwave — not on the counter overnight.
  • Reheat leftovers until steaming (74°C inside), not just warm.

This is a reference, not medical advice. With poisoning symptoms see a doctor; when in doubt about a product, throw it out without tasting.