Ace the CPFM Challenge 2026 – Whisk Your Way to Food Safety Mastery!

Cooking food to the proper internal temperature is crucial in food safety practices and is considered the correct approach in preventing foodborne illnesses. This action ensures that harmful pathogens are effectively killed during the cooking process, which is essential for maintaining food safety. Proper cooking eliminates the risk associated with undercooked food, thus directly addressing the issue of time and temperature abuse.

The other options relate to practices that can lead to time and temperature abuse. Allowing food to cool slowly can result in the food remaining in the temperature danger zone for too long, which can facilitate the growth of bacteria. Storing food at safe temperatures is vital for preventing spoilage or the growth of pathogens, and if this practice is neglected, it may contribute to time and temperature abuse. Keeping food too long at room temperature can also promote the proliferation of bacteria, increasing the risk of foodborne illnesses. Therefore, cooking food to the proper internal temperature is the action that does not fall under the category of time and temperature abuse, but rather is a preventative measure against it.