Bacteria in food – the temperature danger zone

BiologyMicrobiology & VirusesAges 16–17

How long can cooked food sit out before it's unsafe? Pick a bacterium (Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, or Bacillus cereus in leftover rice), a storage temperature and a number of hours to watch bacterial counts grow exponentially in the 5–60 °C zone, then reheat to 75 °C: the bacteria die, but staph's heat-stable toxin and Bacillus spores survive – which is why chilling food promptly matters far more than reheating it.