Potentially Hazardous Food is a term used by food safety organizations to classify foods that require time-temperature control to keep them safe for human consumption. A PHF is a food that:

US FDA Definition

Potentially Hazardous Food has been redefined by the US Food and Drug Administration in the 2013 FDA Food Code to Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food. Pages 22 and 23 (pdf pages 54 and 55), state the following:

For More Information

The 2013 FDA Food Code, FDA HACCP Manual, USDA HACCP Manual, FSIF Meat and Poultry Product Hazards and Control Guides, and the Food Safety Modernization Act FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, provide detailed information on Time and Temperature controls for food safety.

Australia PHF Information

In Australia, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) defines potentially hazardous food to mean food that has to be kept at certain temperatures to minimize the growth of any pathogenic microorganisms that may be present in the food or to prevent the formation of toxins in the food. Under Australian regulations, the following are examples of potentially hazardous foods: