Question

Do you think the frozen peas (before they were left out at room temperature) were safe to eat? Why or why not?

Answer 1

ANS: Freezing is the one of the oldest and widely used techniques in which food are frozen at very low temperature for long duration of time. At low temp microorganisms can not proliferate or grow due to reduction the metabolic reactions and reduce chemical recations.

Frozen peas are safe only for two hours to eat after it will become perishables, causes a different type of microorganisms growth, and it become reasons for food allergy or infections in the body.

According to the "2-hour rule", the frozen food if left at room temperature for more than two hours become perishable and not edible. If the frozen food is being kept at temp of 32.2^o Celsius or 90^o Fahrenheit or above, leftovers should be refrigerated to 40^o Fahrenheit/ 4.4^o C or below within one hour. After short period of time the food is unsafe.

According to The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) : The some bacteria are very difficult to identify in food items, like, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis, E. coli, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens, or Bacillus cereus to be present in food.

The bacteria can grow in 4.4^oC as well as 60^oC very rapidly and it present everywhere, this temp zone is also called "Danger Zone".

Note : Cooking not kill all bacteria, that Staphylococcus and Bacillus cereus produce heat-resistant toxins that cannot be destroyed with high temperatures.