Food-borne illnesses or food poisoning to some is just an uncomfortable couple of days, to others it can be deadly. The CDC estimates roughly 1 in 6 Americans are affected by food-borne illnesses each year. To put that in perspective that is 48 million people becoming ill each year. 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 will die. 3,000 people will die from diseases that are considered to be preventable, but still an alarming number of people are becoming ill (caused by food) – but why? To change this number, all it takes it to be informed on food safety. In this blog we will break down the temperatures of food storage to help you prevent food-borne illness.

Storing your food at the proper temperature is extremely important. Storing your food between 5°C and 60°C creates a breeding ground for bacteria on your food – it will grow faster than a giant beanstalk. This is called the Danger Zone, but not to worry! There are proper temperatures you can store your food to prevent bacteria. Storing your food below 5°C is a way to prevent the bacteria from growing and spreading on your food. Keeping your food above 60°C is a way of destroying all the bacteria on the food. A good way to remember this is to keep your cold food cold and your hot food hot!

Preventable food-borne illness occurs more often than they should. For more ways to prevent food-borne illness check out our recent blog Why Have Colored Handles to prevent cross contamination. Stay tuned for our next blog Temperature rules for safe cooking!