Maximum Holding Times
for Perishable Foods

Temp (°F)	Safety*	Quality**
100***	4 hr	2 hr
95***	5 hr	2.5 hr
90***	6 hr	3 hr
85***	7 hr	3.5 hr
80***	8.5 hr	4 hr
75***	11 hr	5.5 hr
70****	14 hr	7 hr
65****	18 hr	9 hr
60****	1 day	12 hr
55****	1.5 days	18 hr
50****	2.5 days	30 hr
45****	5 days	2.5 days
41	10 days	5 days
40	13 days	6.5 days
35	30 days	15 days
32	60 days	30 days
30	Safe chilled food holding
28	Meat, poultry, fish thaw
23	Spoilage bacterial begin to multiply
14	Yeasts and molds begin to multiply

*10 multiplications of pathogens.
**5 multiplications of pathogens
***Applied heat for less than 6 hours.
****Cooled for less than 15 hours

Note: References for technical data available upon request.

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