During cold water thawing, which temperature condition for the food must be avoided?

• A. The food rising above 41°F
• B. Water rising above 60°F
• C. Food staying frozen
• D. Water below freezing

Answer: (A)

The key idea is keeping the food out of the temperature danger zone during thawing. When thawing in cold water, the food must stay at 41°F or below. If the food’s temperature rises above 41°F at any point, bacteria can start to multiply quickly, making the food unsafe to eat. That’s why avoiding any rise above 41°F is the safety focus here.

Other scenarios aren’t the central risk in this context: letting the water get warmer than 60°F isn’t the critical factor if you still keep the food at or below 41°F and plan to cook promptly after thawing; the food staying frozen simply means it isn’t thawing; water that’s below freezing wouldn’t thaw the food reliably.