Page 34 - FOOD SERVICE SANITATION

What bacteria need to multiply?

Bacteria need 6 conditions to multiply

4. Time
3. Temperature

Under ideal conditions,

Most bacteria can bacterial cells can double

grow within in number every 15 to 30

temperature range of minutes. Because bacteria

5°C to 57°C have the ability to multiply

(Temperature Danger rapidly, it does not take

Zone). All cold foods long before many cells are

must be stored at 5°C produced. Bacteria need

or below and all hot about 4 hours to grow to

food held at 57°C or high enough numbers to

above. cause illness.

5. Oxygen

6. Moisture

Bacteria are differ in their Bacteria can only grow in food

requirement for oxygen that have water activity higher

Aerobic bacteria must have than 0.85.

oxygen in order to grow Water activity is a measure of the

Anaerobic bacteria cannot amount of water that is not bound

to the food. For example, a fresh
survive when oxygen is

chicken has 60% water by volume

present and approximately Aw = 0.98. The

Facultative anaerobic same chicken, when frozen still

bacteria can grow with or have 60% water by volume but it

without free oxygen Aw = 0.