Final answer:
Potentially hazardous foods must be kept refrigerated and arrive at 40 degrees F or colder to ensure safety. This temperature inhibits bacterial growth, preserving the food's quality and preventing foodborne illnesses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Potentially hazardous foods must be kept refrigerated and arrive at 40 degrees F or colder. This temperature standard is critical because perishable foods that are left at a temperature between 40 and 140 degrees F for more than two hours may become unsafe to consume due to rapid bacterial growth. The refrigeration range, usually between 0 °C and 7 °C (32 and 45 degrees F), inhibits microbial metabolism, thereby significantly slowing the growth of microorganisms and preserving the quality and safety of the food.
It is important to maintain the refrigerator's temperature at or below 4 °C (40 degrees F) to inhibit bacterial growth. In cases such as power outages, it is essential to ensure that the temperature stays below this threshold to keep the food safe. If the temperature exceeds this limit for a prolonged period, the food should not be consumed as harmful bacteria might have multiplied to dangerous levels, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. Foods frozen at temperatures below -18 °C (0 degrees F) can be kept indefinitely, although the quality may degrade over time.