High-risk foods are those which have ideal conditions for bacterial growth, such as:
- neutral acidity
- high protein or starch
These foods are most likely to harbour dangerous levels of bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
This video is an excerpt from the AIFS Food Safety Supervisor course. It examines the characteristics of high-risk foods (also referred to as 'potentially hazardous foods') and low-risk foods.
Low-risk foods are foods which are less likely to cause food poisoning.