Final answer:
Ready-to-eat TCS food must be date marked if stored for more than 24 hours to prevent bacterial growth and foodborne illnesses. The fridge temperature should be at or below 4 degrees C to inhibit bacteria. Option b.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is B. 24 hours. Ready-to-eat Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) food must be date marked if it is going to be stored for longer than 24 hours to ensure that the food is consumed before it becomes unsafe to eat due to potential bacterial growth. Ready-to-eat TCS food must be date marked if stored for more than 24 hours to prevent bacterial growth and foodborne illnesses. The fridge temperature should be at or below 4 degrees C to inhibit bacteria.
This is a critical practice to prevent foodborne illness, as bacteria can multiply rapidly between 4 and 60 degrees C (40 and 140 degrees F), and perishable foods that stay in this temperature range for more than two hours can become dangerous. Keeping the refrigerator's temperature at or below 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) helps to inhibit bacterial growth, and any food stored above this temperature for two hours or more should not be consumed.