FATTOM
Asia High
FOOD
Most bacteria need nutrients to survive. TCS food supports the growth of bacteria better than other types of food.
Acidity
Bacteria grow best in food that contains little or no acid. pH is the measure of acidity. The pH scales ranges from 0 to 14.0. A value of 0 is highly acidic, while a value of 14 is highly alkaline. A pH of 7 is neutral. Bacteria grows best in food that is neutral to slightly acidic.
Temperature
Bacteria grow rapidly between 41 degrees F and 135 degrees F (5 degrees C & 57 degrees C). This range is known as the temperature danger zone. Bacteria grow even more rapidly from 70 degrees F to 120 degrees F. Bacteria growth is limited when food is held above or below the temperature danger zone.
Time
Bacteria need time to grow. The more time bacteria spend in the temperature danger zone, the more opportunity they have to grow to unsafe levels.
Oxygen
Some bacteria need oxygen to grow. Others grow when oxygen is not there.
Moisture
Bacteria grow well in food with high levels of moisture. The amount of moisture available in food for this growth is called water activity. The aw scale ranges from 0.0 to 1.0. The higher the value, the more available moisture in the food. Foe example, water has a water activity of 1.0.