Food FAQ: What is the Temperature Danger Zone (T.D.Z.), and why is it important to me?

Answer: The T.D.Z. is the temperature range that bacteria grows the best, this range is between 40F and 140F or 4C and 60C (USDA). This is important because most of the bacteria growing in this range causes food-borne illnesses (food poisoning). Any food exposed to the T.D.Z. for more than a total of four hours needs to be discarded.