The Bacteria Life

Bacteria, just like us, are born to grow and multiply. And they’ve been doing a good job of it for billions of years! When the conditions are just right, bacteria multiply extremely quickly – in fact, they split over and over again – doubling in number each time – every 10 to 20 minutes. This process is called binary fission. In just 7 hours, 1 single bacterium can become 2 million bacteria! So imagine the damage that harmful bacteria can have if food isn’t handled, cooked or stored properly. Bacteria need three things to thrive: moisture, warmth and time. Cold temperatures will slow down bacteria growth and can stop them from multiplying. For example, a freezer will kill some bacteria but most of it will just lie dormant until their surroundings get warmer. The temperatures they thrive in sit within The Danger Zone – this is anything between 5 and 63 degrees celsius. Their favourite is human body temperature which sits at 37 degrees. If temperatures go above 63 degrees, the heat will start to destroy them. Once temperatures go above 75 degrees for more than two minutes, the majority of bacteria will be killed.