"Danger Zone" (40 °F - 140 °F)

Used in 2 entries

For each citing entry, the verbatim excerpt and Likelier's calculation notes (how the source's number was converted to the lifetime-probability framing) are shown below. Click through to read the full claim ledger.

1. [1] Food left out Risk

   Statistic

   Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40°F and 140°F, doubling in as little as 20 minutes; food should not be left out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F)

   “"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.' 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."”

   Calculation notes

   USDA FSIS defines the operational rule the rest of the entry is testing. The 2-hour / 1-hour-above-90°F guideline is the regulatory baseline against which "temperature abuse" is measured in CDC outbreak investigations. Used here as the definition of the exposure, not as a probability estimate.
   

   Independence note: FSIS guidance is the governing US regulatory standard; its framing of the Danger Zone is reused by FDA, CDC, and state health departments. Not independent of those downstream sources — upstream of them.

   Source date: 2024-07-12 · Accessed: 2026-04-16

2. [2] Refreezing thawed food Risk

   Statistic

   Bacteria double in as little as 20 minutes between 40°F and 140°F; food should not be left out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F)

   “"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.' 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."”

   Calculation notes

   Establishes the variable that actually governs safety — cumulative time in the Danger Zone — against which the refreeze question is beside the point. Two freezings with an interval spent below 40°F carry no time-temperature penalty; a single thaw that spent three hours on a warm counter is unsafe whether or not it is refrozen.
   

   Independence note: Same regulatory author as the Freezing page; cited for a distinct claim (the exposure rule), not as corroboration of the refreezing claim.

   Source date: 2024-07-12 · Accessed: 2026-07-12

Also cited in these entries

foodDirect

Food left out

What are the odds of getting food poisoning from eating food left out of the fridge?

1 in 1.2 lifetime(82%)

HealthDirect

Refreezing thawed food

Is it dangerous to refreeze food that has already thawed or melted?