FAT TOM
Food. Acidity.Temperature. Time. Oxygen. Moisture
Food
Most bacteria needs nutrients to survive.TCS food supports the growth of bacteria better than other types of food.
Acidity
Bacteria grows best in food that contains little or no acid. pH is the measure of acidity. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.0. A value of 0 is highly acidic , while a value o 14 is highly alkaline, A pH of 7 is neutral.
Temperature
Bacteria grow rapidly between 41 degrees Fahrenheit and 135 Fahrenheit. This range is known as the danger zone
Time
Bacteria needs time grow. The more time bacteria spends 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 these.
Moisture
Bacteria grow well in fops with high level of moisture . The amount of moisture available in food for this growth is called water activity. The scale a/w scale ranges from 0.0 to 1.0. The higher the value, the more available moisture in the food.