During a morning walkthrough, a manager finds a pan of frozen ground turkey thawing on a dry prep counter at room temperature. What is the primary reason this practice is prohibited?

Giải thích

When food thaws at room temperature, its surface can spend hours between 41°F and 135°F even though the core is still frozen. That surface time in the danger zone allows bacteria to multiply, which is why ambient thawing is not one of the four approved methods — covered or uncovered. Raw ground turkey is not a ready-to-eat food, and simply being slower than refrigerated thawing is not a food safety reason.