A chef acidifies a sauce so that it no longer supports pathogen growth. At or below which pH does a food stop being time/temperature control for safety on acidity alone?
a.A pH of 7.5 or lower
b.A pH of 4.6 or lower
c.A pH of 5.6 or lower
d.A pH of 6.5 or lower
Explanation
Pathogens grow best in food that is close to neutral, and a pH of 4.6 or lower is the acidity threshold used to classify a food as not requiring time and temperature control on that basis. A pH of 5.6, 6.5, or 7.5 is still hospitable to bacteria, and changing a recipe's acidity to preserve food requires a variance from the regulatory authority.
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