curedmeat.com / Safety / Hazards
Perfringens food poisoning
Clostridium perfringens
A spore former that multiplies rapidly through the cooling range if a heated product is allowed to sit in it.
Controls, with the source for each
| Parameter | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Performance standard | no more than 1 log multiplication | 9 CFR 318.17(a)(2), 9 CFR 318.23(c)(1), 9 CFR 381.150 |
| pH growth limits | 5.0 and 8.3 | FSIS-GD-2021-0013, Stabilization Guideline (revised Appendix B) |
pH growth limits. Below pH 5.0 the organism does not grow. This is why a fermented product that reaches pH 5.3 is still not below the perfringens limit.
Why it matters here
Relevant to anything cured that is also cooked, and to the cooling that follows. In one survey cited by FSIS, C. perfringens spores were isolated from 43 of 54 different spices and herbs, so the seasoning is a route in.
Steps that bear on this hazard
What this page is not
This page reports published parameters. It does not tell you that any preparation is safe. Whether a specific product met a parameter is a question about that product, answered by measuring it, and no page can do that for you.
FSIS guideline identifiers and their URLs are listed on the methodology page. CFR citations are to the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 9, as in force on 1 January 2026.