Given that the food worker has taken three hours to reheat the soup to [tex]$165^{\circ} F$[/tex] [tex]$\left(74^{\circ} C\right.\)$[/tex], it's important to follow proper food safety procedures to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Here is the step-by-step reasoning:
1. Food Safety Guidelines:
- The FDA Food Code specifies that reheated food must reach an internal temperature of [tex]$165^{\circ} F$[/tex] [tex]$\left(74^{\circ} C\right.\)$[/tex] within two hours to ensure that any harmful bacteria are killed.
2. Evaluation of the scenario:
- The worker took three hours to reheat the soup to the required temperature, which exceeds the two-hour limit set by food safety guidelines.
3. Potential danger:
- Since the reheating process took longer than the recommended two hours, there is a risk that bacteria could have multiplied to dangerous levels.
Based on the above reasoning, the correct course of action is to ensure the safety of the consumers by not exposing them to potentially hazardous food.
Thus, the worker should:
- a. Throw the soup out – Because the soup was reheated beyond the safe time limit, it must be discarded to prevent any potential foodborne illness.
The answer is a. Throw the soup out.
