Potentially Hazardous Food is a term used by food safety

Food safety

Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....

 organizations to classify foods that require time-temperature control to keep them safe for human consumption. A PHF is a food that:

• Contains moisture - usually regarded as a water activity
  Water activity
  Water activity or aw was developed to account for the intensity with which water associates with various non-aqueous constituents and solids. Simply stated, it is a measure of the energy status of the water in a system...
  
   greater than 0.85
• Contains protein
• Is neutral to slightly acidic - typically having a pH
  PH
  In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
  
   between 4.6 and 7.5

The US Food and Drug Administration

Food and Drug Administration

The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...

 (FDA) Food Code identifies the following examples of PHF's:

• Meat (beef, pork, lamb)
• Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck)
• Fish
• Shellfish and crustaceans
• Eggs (except those treated to eliminate Salmonella
  Salmonella
  Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, predominantly motile enterobacteria with diameters around 0.7 to 1.5 µm, lengths from 2 to 5 µm, and flagella which grade in all directions . They are chemoorganotrophs, obtaining their energy from oxidation and reduction...
  
  )
• Milk and dairy products
• Heat-treated plant food (cooked rice, beans, or vegetables)
• Baked potatoes
• Certain synthetic ingredients
• Mushrooms
• Raw sprouts
• Tofu and soy-protein foods
• Untreated garlic and oil mixtures
• Cut melons, including watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew.

Since these foods can harbor pathogenic microorganisms and permit their growth or the production of toxins, special care must be taken to keep them out of the temperature danger zone for as long as possible. Time is another factor that can be controlled to minimize the chances of pathogenic outbreaks. Things such as salts, sugars, and brine solutions can be used to alter the moisture or acidity of PHF's to make them more shelf stable and were especially popular prior to refrigeration technology. A HACCP is a more modern approach to food safety in PHF's, especially as they relate to the food service industry.

In Australia, Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Food Standards Australia New Zealand is the governmental body responsible for developing food standards for Australia and New Zealand .FSANZ develops food standards after consulting with other government agencies and stakeholders...

(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:

• Raw and cooked meat or foods containing meat, such as casseroles, curries and lasagne;
• Dairy products, for example, milk, custard and dairy based desserts;
• Seafood (excluding live seafood);
• Processed fruits and vegetables, for example, salads;
• Cooked rice and pasta;
• Foods containing eggs, beans, nuts or other protein rich foods, such as quiche and soy products;
• Foods that contain these foods, such as sandwiches and rolls.