A single episode of foodborne illness can be devastating to your establishment’s reputation as a business that serves the public. Hundreds of outbreaks of disease occur every year, through ingesting either contaminated food or drinking water, and health officials believe that many more go unreported. The way to avoid such disasters in your business is to keep your hot foods hot and your cold foods cold. The danger range for bacterial growth is 40F to 140F (7 C to 60 C), as shown in Figure 9.2. Bring your hot foods hot from the kitchen, and keep them above 140F (60C) until they are served. Holding equipment for maintaining foods at this temperature should be set at 165F to 180 F (74C to 82 C). Keep your hazardprone cold foods at 40F (4 C) until they are about to be served. Check your refrigerator temperatures daily and make sure that they are at the correct temperature.