What temperature should food be reheated to for safety?

Reheating food to a temperature above 165°F is crucial for food safety. This specific temperature is established to effectively kill harmful bacteria and pathogens that may have developed during the initial cooking process or while the food was stored. At or above 165°F, food is heated sufficiently to ensure that it is safe to consume, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses.

While other temperatures in the options may provide some level of safety, they do not meet the USDA recommendations for safe reheating practices. For instance, 140°F is not adequate because it allows bacteria to potentially survive. Similarly, 200°F, while being safe, is unnecessarily high and may damage the food's texture and flavor. A temperature of 120°F is too low to guarantee safety, posing a considerable risk of bacterial growth. Therefore, reheating food to at least 165°F is the safest and most effective practice in food handling.