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Food safety is critical as food flows through an operation from receiving a
product through proper storage to production which might include steps of
thawing, preparing and cooking. Food safety is also critical after
preparation, during holding of food until service, cooling of extra food and
reheating food for service at a later time. An important part of food quality
is controlling temperatures so that hot food is served hot and cold food is
served cold. Managers need to institute standard operating procedures that guide
employees in keeping food safe and maintaining food quality. Employees need
to follow this guidance. Standard operating procedures include monitoring
proper time and temperature of food products at each step of food flow,
receiving, storing, preparing, cooking, holding serving and cooling. Checking
temperatures of food and storage units should be a routine part of the
employees workday. To do this various types of temperature measuring devices
can be used. It is important the thermometer be an accurate measuring
device. Regular calibration of thermometers should be part of the work
schedule. A calibrated bimetallic stem thermometer is generally accurate to
within 2 degrees Fahrenheit and is fairly inexpensive costing about 10
dollars. The sensing area is between the tip and the dimple. Because the sensing
area is bigger it takes about 15 seconds to get a true reading. Some digital
thermometers cannot be calibrated but they can provide a reading fairly
quickly because they are tip sensitive. They cost about 10 dollars but break
easily if dropped. Digital thermometers should also be regularly checked for
accuracy. Use of a slotted spoon to hold the thermometer while checking
temperatures of hot foods in deep cooking equipment protects employees
from injury and allows for an accurate reading of food
temperatures. Infrared thermometers do not come in contact with food so there
is not a risk of cross-contamination. However because they only read the
surface temperature, not the internal temperature of the food item, they are
best used as a screening tool. If thin foods such as meat patties or fish
fillets are part of the menu a tip sensitive thermometer with a suitable
probe diameter is required by the Food Code to be used to check endpoint
cooking temperatures. Starting cost for these is about fifteen dollars. To get an
accurate temperature reading from any insertion type thermometer the sensing
area must be positioned correctly to assure an accurate reading. The area up
to the dimple must be inserted into the center of the thickest part of the food
product. The Food Code recommends that temperature readings be taken from at
least two places in food items to be sure they are thoroughly cooked.
Cross-contamination of products can be avoided by cleaning and sanitizing
thermometers between uses. Using an alcohol wipe is one way to sanitize the
thermometer. A designated sanitizer can be used as an alternate method. Checking
temperatures and recording readings as food flows through the operation ensures
that food is not in the temperature danger zone too long and provides
documentation that standards have been met. When perishable food is received it
should be checked to ensure that temperatures are not in the danger zone
of 41 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. If the food is in the temperature danger zone
it should not be accepted. In this example the receiving clerk rejected the
delivery of washed chopped leafy greens a temperature controlled for safety food
because the temperature was above 41 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important that
temperatures of all storage areas be checked and recorded twice a day. Both
the external gauge and an internal thermometer should be checked to verify
proper storage temperatures. There are three types of storage: frozen,
refrigerated and dry. Frozen foods should be kept in a frozen state. Generally that
temperature is at or below zero degrees Fahrenheit while refrigerated items need
to be held between 32 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry storage area temperatures
should be maintained between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Improper thawing of
temperature controlled for safety foods is a leading cause of foodborne illness.
It is the best use of resources to thaw foods under refrigeration. Check
production schedules and plan ahead to avoid temperature abuse of foods. Foods
can also be thawed as a part of the cooking process. When preparing food
items small amounts of ingredients should be taken from refrigerated or
frozen storage as needed to avoid extended length of time in the
temperature danger zone at room temperature. For example if a large
number of cold meat sandwiches are being prepared only pull out batches of meat
and other temperature-controlled for safety foods such as the washed lettuce
and cut tomatoes and keep these foods cold during preparation by resting them
on ice. Batch preparation or batch cooking avoids temperature abuse and
improves product quality. Proper endpoint cooking temperatures will vary depending
on the food and preference of the clientele. At a minimum fish should be
cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit; ground beef and
ground pork should reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit
and poultry should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Often standardized recipes will include the endpoint cooking temperature for the
product. Cooking is a common critical control point or CCP meaning that it is
the last chance to minimize risks associated with foodborne illness. There
also may be signs in the cooking area to remind employees about required minimum
cooking temperatures. Holding times for menu items (the time
between completion of production and service) will vary depending on the type
of production system and number of people served. Generally minimizing
holding time of foods results in an improved product and lower risk of
temperature abuse. Quantity operations may prepare meals in a central kitchen
and then transport to satellite sites for service or retail operations may
have to-go foods available for their clientele.
If transported off-site the temperatures of food and time taken should be noted
upon delivery. For to-go items the time and temperatures of foods should be
checked and recorded before foods leave the kitchen. Keeping hot foods hot and
cold foods cold is a basic principle in ensuring food quality and avoiding
temperature abuse but what does that mean? Temperatures for hot foods should
be at or above 135 degrees Fahrenheit and for cold foods at or below 41
degrees Fahrenheit. Organizations may specify more rigorous temperatures in
their standard operating procedures or SOPs to ensure these temperatures are
maintained through service. It can be difficult to maintain cold food
temperatures below 41 degrees Fahrenheit particularly if a small portion size is
removed too early from refrigerated storage as it will warm into the
temperature danger zone quickly. Cold foods should be held in refrigerated
storage at or below 41 degrees Fahrenheit until service. At that point
it can be kept cold with refrigerated display cases, service wells, ice baths or
ice sheets. To ensure cold foods are kept cold check the serving temperature and
take action if needed. Be sure to record food temperatures in the temperature log.
The proper cooling of foods is another practice critical to food safety.
Improper cooling is another major contributing factor to outbreaks of
foodborne illness. Hot foods must be cooled quickly. Staying
in the temperature danger zone too long provides an opportunity for
bacteria to grow. Even if the food is placed in a refrigerator care must be
taken to ensure it cools quickly and safely. Hot foods should cool within two
hours from above 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit or below and
then in an additional four hour period be cooled from 70 degrees Fahrenheit or
below to under 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Foods may stay in the temperature danger
zone too long when large amounts of product such as soup are cooked the day
before needed and transferred directly into the refrigeration unit in a large
batch. It is better to speed the cooling process by using chill sticks, portioning
into small quantities, using ice baths or cooling in a blast chiller. Temperatures
of foods should be taken during the cooling process to document temperature
drops compliant with the standards. If the cooling process begins at the end of
the day an operation can test to see which procedures will meet the FDA Food
Code cooling process. When reheating temperature controlled for safety foods
a minimum temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit should be reached. The
reputation of a food service depends on serving quality food safely. Monitoring
temperatures and controlling the time perishable foods are in the temperature
danger zone are critical steps in protection of that reputation. Food
service team members need to be alert to temperature and time requirements and
take all preventive actions possible to ensure food is handled properly.
Recording temperatures at steps of the food flow provides documentation that
there was no time or temperature abuse.
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