How long can foods be left out for serving once they have come out of the oven?
Foods that come out of the oven should be consumed within two hours or properly refrigerated after that. If not, foods could linger in the “danger zone” (between the ranges of 40 to 140 Fahrenheit) for too long. In the danger zone, bacteria multiply quickly. Q. Why can a steak be served medium rare but hamburgers have to be cooked to proper internal temperatures? A steak served medium rare is an intact muscle. If the butcher has done a good job, all of the bacteria will be on the outside of the steak. The steak can be served medium rare because the bacteria on the outside will die during normal cooking. A hamburger has been ground up, and all of the bacteria that were on the outside of the steak or solid meat are now ground up and dispersed throughout the product. Now you must use a thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature is high enough to destroy the bacteria on the inside. Q. What is a potentially hazardous food?
