When Reheating Partially Cooked Food For Service, What Minimum Internal Temperature Must Be Reached?

In commercial foodservice, understanding food safety temperatures is crucial to protecting your guests from foodborne illness. All operators and food handlers are responsible for recognizing the importance of the temperature danger zone and should be educated to perform established food safe procedures. Keep reading to learn all nigh the food temperature danger zone, how long food can safely stay in the danger zone, and the food condom temperature range for hot and cold food.

Store All Kitchen Thermometers

Click below to learn about the temperature danger zone:

Why Is the Danger Zone Important?
How Long Food Can Stay in the Danger Zone
How to Hold Cold Food
How to Concur Hot Food
Safety Cooking Temperatures
How to Rapidly Cool Hot Foods
Common cold Food Storage Times

What Is the Danger Zone?

The danger zone refers to the temperature range in which bacteria growth occurs about apace on food. According to ServSafe recommendations, food temperatures between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit represent this danger zone. Bacteria can multiply at any temperature within the danger zone, simply temperatures between 70 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit provide the virtually hospitable environment for bacteria to thrive. The longer food sits in the temperature danger zone, the greater the take a chance that bacteria will grow on the food.

Temperature Danger Zone

Why Is the Temperature Danger Zone Important?

When foods are allowed to enter the temperature danger zone, bacteria may abound to unhealthy levels and crusade the food to spoil. Dangerous bacteria growth like this may occur without whatsoever visible signs that the food is unsafe for consumption. Foods may smell and announced normal, but could actually comprise harmful amounts of bacteria that will crusade foodborne illness.

This is what makes the temp danger zone extremely of import. As a food service professional, information technology'south your responsibility to keep foods out of the danger zone by using approved methods to chill, heat, and store foods.

What Is Time Temperature Abuse?

Fourth dimension temperature abuse is the human activity of allowing foods to stay in the temperature danger zone of 41 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with cantankerous-contamination, time temperature abuse is a mutual source of foodborne illness. Foods may get time-temperature abused in three means:

Foods are not held or stored at nutrient condom temperatures
Food is non cooked or reheated to the temperature required to eliminate possible pathogens
Hot food is not cooled properly earlier being placed in cold storage

What Are TCS Foods?

TCS stands for time/temperature control safe. Foods that require strict time and temperature command are considered TCS foods. Pathogens love TCS foods considering they present an ideal environment for germs to grow and spread. Preventing TCS foods from inbound the danger zone and condign time-temperature abused is a disquisitional food safety exercise. These are the high-risk TCS foods that should exist closely monitored at all times:

Milk and dairy products
Meat and poultry
Fish, shellfish, and crustaceans
Shell eggs
Baked potatoes
Cooked rice, beans, and vegetables
Tofu, soy poly peptide, or other plant-based meat alternatives
Sprouts and sprout seeds
Cut tomatoes, melons, and leafy greens
Untreated garlic and oil mixtures

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How Long Tin Nutrient Stay in the Temperature Danger Zone?

ServSafe states that iv hours is the maximum length of fourth dimension prepare-to-eat foods can stay in the temperature danger zone. After the 4 hour limit, foods must be thrown away. Inside the 4 hour time limit, foods tin exist consumed, reheated, or chilled to bring them back to food prophylactic temperatures. Checking temps every 2 hours allows for a greater window to perform any corrective actions that are necessary.

How to Keep Nutrient Out of the Danger Zone

Kitchen thermometers are the central to keeping foods out of the temp danger zone. By monitoring and recording food temperatures regularly, you can foreclose foods from becoming fourth dimension-temperature abused. This is imperative while prepping, cooking, and holding nutrient on your buffet line or salad bar.

Follow these of import tips to ensure yous're making the best use of your kitchen thermometers to go on nutrient condom for consumption.

Always use the right type of thermometer for the job.
Never rely on the temperature brandish of your equipment lone.
Place a thermometer inside your refrigerator or freezer as an additional safety mensurate.
Keep a written record of all temperature checks that includes the temp, the fourth dimension, and the name of the operator.
Clean and calibrate thermometers often.

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Food Holding Temperature

Once your food is cooked to the proper internal temperature or chilled to xl degrees Fahrenheit or below, it's important to maintain these safe temperatures before serving. In that location are a number of instances in which foodservice professionals demand to hold food for extended periods of times. These instances could include holding food in salad confined and buffet lines or transporting food to off-site locations and catering events.

When transporting nutrient, it is recommended you use a food pan carrier or insulated catering purse to ensure your hot or cold foods remain safe for consumption.

Cold Property Temperature

The cold belongings temperature for TCS foods must exist at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or beneath. Here are some tips to properly hold cold foods so they don't autumn into the danger zone:

Ensure your cold-property equipment keeps foods at xl degrees Fahrenheit and beneath.
Whatever cold nutrient held without refrigeration is rubber for up to half dozen hours, starting from the time information technology was removed from refrigeration at xl degrees Fahrenheit and below.
Check the temperature of cold foods every two hours and discard any common cold food that reaches a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

How Common cold Does a Salad Bar or Refrigerator Have to Exist to Keep Food Safe?

Salad bars and refrigerators need to maintain temperatures at xl degrees Fahrenheit and below to preclude the growth of dangerous bacteria. This is especially of import as y'all house vulnerable TCS foods including cheese, yogurts, meats, salad dressings, and egg products.

Holding Temperature For Hot Food

The appropriate holding temp for hot foods is 135 degrees Fahrenheit or in a higher place. Hither are some tips to keep hot foods out of the danger zone:

Never use hot holding equipment to reheat food. Foods should be heated to safe temperatures prior to holding. Hot holding equipment is designed to maintain current temps, not bring food up to temp.
When possible, keep food covered to help maintain temperatures and keep contaminants out.
Stir often to distribute heat throughout the food.
Utilize the appropriate thermometer to monitor food temperatures often.
Discard hot food that has been sitting below 135 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 4 hours.
Never mix freshly prepared food with foods already being held for service to prevent cross contamination.

How Ofttimes Should I Check the Temperature of Hot or Cold Holding Food?

It is recommended you check the temperature of your hot or common cold property food every four hours. However, if you lot bank check every 2 hours instead, this allows enough fourth dimension to accept corrective action in the upshot that food has fallen into the danger zone. Past staying on pinnacle of your food'southward internal temperatures, you can prevent the spread of unsafe bacteria and eliminate food waste material by simply re-heating or re-chilling the affected foods before bacteria has fourth dimension to spread.

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Safety Cooking Temperatures

Danger Zone Infographic

To preclude the spread of salmonella, staphylococcus aureus, listeria, and other dangerous bacteria, information technology's important to monitor the internal temperature of the foods you serve. Follow the recommendations below for condom cooking temperatures of mutual TCS foods.

Melt to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for at least xv seconds:

Poultry, whole or footing
Stuffing fabricated with poultry, meat, or fish
Blimp pasta, meat, poultry, or seafood
Any dish that contains a cooked TCS food

Cook to 155 degrees Fahrenheit for at least xv seconds:

Ground beefiness, pork, or other meats
Flavor-injected meats
Tenderized meats
Ratites (ostrich, emu)
Basis, chopped, or minced seafood
Eggs from the shell, held for service

Cook to 145 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 seconds:

Seafood
Steaks and chops (beef, pork, veal, lamb)
Commercially raised game
Eggs from the shell, served immediately
Roasts of beef, pork, veal, lamb (must be cooked for at least 4 minutes)

Melt to 135 degrees Fahrenheit (no minimum time):

Fruits
Vegetables
Rice, pasta, and other grains
Legumes

Click below to print a visual reminder of the condom cooking temperatures listed above:

Printable Version

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What Practice Y'all Need to Know About Resting Fourth dimension for Meats?

Earlier taking temperatures, information technology's of import to note the balance time of meat required when removing information technology from the grill, oven, or other heat source. During this fourth dimension, the temperature will remain consequent or continue to rise. This process helps to destroy harmful germs.

How Do You Quickly Cool Hot Foods?

Many institutions and large commercial kitchens fix dishes ahead of time for maximum efficiency in their kitchen. The food is then cooled down and held until service. When doing this, information technology'south important to cool the nutrient apace and safely so that it doesn't linger in the danger zone for also long.

If yous're preparing food ahead of time, you must bring the temperature downward to xl degrees Fahrenheit or below within ii hours of striking its proper internal temperature.

Tips for Cooling Hot Foods to Nutrient Safe Temperatures

Placing hot food straight into your refrigerator or freezer is never recommended because it endangers the food effectually it by raising the ambient temperature in your fridge or freezer. This creates the possibility of other foods in your refrigerator or freezer inbound the temperature danger zone and developing bacteria without y'all even knowing. Instead, follow these tips for quickly cooling your hot foods.

Use a commercial blast chiller to absurd foods chop-chop and minimize the time food spends in the danger zone.
Store foods in shallow containers to allow the temperature to distribute more evenly.
Consider using a cooling paddle to reduce the temperature of hot liquids including soups, stews, and sauces.
Create an ice bath past filling a pot, container, or sink bowl with ice. Containers of hot foods tin be placed in the water ice bath to speedily cool food to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or beneath.

Learn more than almost bringing foods downward to temperature in our cooling foods guide.

Cold Nutrient Storage

In add-on to belongings and serving cold foods, it'due south important to know how long you tin can store cold foods before they become unsafe for consumption. Always date characterization your refrigerated foods and utilize a showtime-in, first-out (FIFO) organization. Employ this chart equally a reminder of how long items can be safely kept before they must be discarded.

Food Particular	Refrigerator (40°F)	Freezer (0°F)
Bacon	1 week	1 month
Beverages	three weeks unopened, 7-ten days opened	8-12 months
Cheese - hard (Swiss)	3-4 weeks	6 months
Cheese - soft (brie)	ane week	6 months
Chicken, egg, macaroni, and tuna salad	3-4 days	Do not freeze
Cottage cheese	1 calendar week	Exercise not freeze
Dough - cookie	Use by appointment	2 months
Dough - tube cans of rolls, biscuits, pizza dough	Use by date	Do not freeze
Egg substitutes - opened	3 days	Exercise non freeze
Egg substitutes - unopened	three days	1 twelvemonth
Eggs - fresh in shell	3-5 weeks	Practise non freeze
Eggs - hard cooked	1 week	Practise not freeze
Fish - fatty (salmon)	1-ii days	2-3 months
Fish - lean (cod)	ane-2 days	six months
Ground meats - raw	1-2 days	3-four months
Ham - fully cooked, slices	3-4 days	1-2 months
Ham - fully cooked, whole	i calendar week	1-2 months
Hot dogs - opened	ane calendar week	ane-two months
Hot dogs - unopened	ii weeks	ane-2 months
Dejeuner meats - opened	3-5 days	1-2 months
Luncheon meats - unopened	2 weeks	i-2 months
Margarine	4-5 months	12 months
Mayonnaise - opened	2 months	Do non freeze
Milk	i week	3 months
Poultry - cooked	3-4 days	2-half dozen months
Poultry - fresh, chicken or turkey	1-2 days	6 months
Prepared leftovers	3-4 days	2-iii months
Sausage - raw	1-two days	1-2 months
Sausage - cooked	1 week	1-two months
Steaks, chops, and roasts - raw	3-5 days	iv-6 months

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It's every food service operator's acme priority to keep the food they're serving safe for consumption. Following these important tips and guidelines volition ensure your managers and staff have the noesis to continue food out of the danger zone, take cosmetic action, and keep customers safe from harmful foods.