TEMPERATURE CONTROL

THERMOMETERS:

• A Metal Stem Thermometer must

be used to check Food Temperatures.
• A Refrigeration Thermometer
is needed for each Refrigeration Unit.
Temperature control
is the most common method
for limiting the growth of bacteria
that cause food-borne diseases.
The use of a metal stem thermometer
is necessary during food preparation,
holding and reheating.
Thermometers are needed to
ensure that refrigeration and hot
holding equipment is functioning
properly and to monitor cooking,
reheating and cooling procedures:
For checking internal food
temperatures, a metal stem
thermometer that has a range of
-18⁰C to 110⁰C (0⁰F to 230⁰F) works
best.
Checking the temperature
in the center of food is the only way
to know if it is being kept at proper
temperatures. Relying on thermostat
settings or air temperature readings
can be misleading.
All refrigeration units must have an
accurate thermometer placed in the
warmest section of the unit.
Check these thermometers frequently
and be certain each refrigeration unit
is keeping food product temperatures
below 4.5⁰C (45⁰F).
If any refrigeration, cooling or hot
holding equipment is not keeping
proper temperature, get it fixed.
COOKING TEMPERATURES:
• Poultry and Stuffing . . . . . . . . . 75⁰C
• Hamburger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68⁰C
• Beef, Lamb, and Seafood . . . . . 66⁰C
• Rare Beef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60⁰C
• Check temperatures with a Metal
Stem Thermometer
Thorough cooking of readily perishable
foods is important. All poultry, poultry
products, stuffed meats and stuffing
must reach 75⁰C or hotter to destroy
Salmonella and other bacteria.
Hamburger must be cooked to at least
68⁰C. Pork and all pork products must
reach at least 66⁰C to prevent
Trichinosis.
All other meat products,
seafoods, and seafood products must
be cooked to 60⁰C or hotter
in order to kill harmful bacteria. An
exception in rare beef, which may be
cooked to 54⁰C if served right away.
A stem thermometer is needed to
check for proper cooking temperature.
It is dangerous to cook large frozen
roasts, frozen turkeys or stuffed turkeys
because their size keeps the inner
portions from reaching safe cooking
temperatures.
If the food is thawed first, then the heat
can reach the center of the food faster.
To prevent microwaves from cooking
foods unevenly, stir, turn the food and
check temperatures with a metal stem
thermometer before serving.
 COLD HOLDING
• Keep Cold Food at 4.5⁰C or Colder
• Check Temperatures with a Metal
Stem Thermometer
Bacteria that cause food-borne
disease may grow in readily
perishable foods that are not kept
below 4.5⁰C during cold holding.
Cold holding of readily perishable
foods should always be at 4.5⁰C or
colder.
Fish, shellfish at 0-3⁰C, poultry,milk
and milk products at 5-7⁰C and red
meat keep longer at temperatures
below 4.5⁰C.
Refrigeration units must keep all readily
perishable foods a room temperatures
below 45⁰F.
Each unit must have an accurate
thermometer placed in a visible place to
measure the air temperature.
A metal stem thermometer must be
available to check the food temperatures
on salad bars, in prep units and other
areas where food is kept cold.
Adequate air circulation
is needed for the refrigeration unit
to work properly and
maintain cold temperatures. Store
foods properly so air can circulate.
Do not overcrowd.
Ice may be used to keep cold foods
below 4.5⁰C when used at salad bars,
prep tables, or for foods on display.
When using ice in place of mechanical
refrigeration, you must pre-chill all
readily perishable foods to below
4.5⁰C before placing in ice.
The container of food must be packed
in ice up to the level of the foods.
 HOT HOLDING

• Keep Hot Food at 60⁰C or Hotter

• Check Temperatures with a Metal
Stem Thermometer
Bacterial growth can occur at food
temperatures that are warm but not
hot. It is important to know the hot
holding temperatures for foods.
Hot foods must be held at 60⁰C or
hotter.
Foods as well as steam tables, soup
warmers, and other hot holding
equipment must be preheated.
Set the temperature control
hot enough to maintain food product
temperature at 63⁰C or hotter at all
times.
The only way to tell that
the food is hot enough is to use your
metal stem thermometer to
check the temperature of the food.
Do not heat cold foods in these
units because they will heat the
food fast enough.
Liquid hot foods should be stirred
frequently to avoid cold spots.
Keep covers on containers to
maintain product temperatures.
 REHEATING:

• Rapidly Reheat to 74⁰C or Hotter

• Check temperatures with a Metal
Stem Thermometer
It is important to rapidly reheat readily
perishable foods to 74⁰C or hotter. This
is hot enough to kill most bacteria and
destroy most viruses.
Quick methods of reheating are best.
Equipment which will rapidly reheat
foods are burners, convection ovens,
double boilers, and microwave ovens.
Do not use equipment that cannot reheat
foods fast enough, such as steam tables,
bain maries, crock pots, and steamers.
To be sure that all parts of the food are
thoroughly reheated, the food must be
stirred or turned, specially if a microwave
is used.
Use a metal stem thermometer to check
for adequate reheating temperatures. All
meats be reheated to as high as 74⁰C.
COOLING SOLID OR SEMI-SOLID FOOD:

• Reduce Food Depth to 10cm (4”) or

less
• Refrigerate Uncovered While the
Food is Still Hot
Solid foods (meats, refried beans, rice,
potatoes, casseroles, stews and thick
chowders) must be cooled as rapidly as
possible to stop harmful bacteria from
growing.
Large roasts and turkeys must be cut
into pieces 10cm (4”) or less in
thickness.
A shallow food depth of 4” or less will
allow foods to cool rapidly.
A shallow food depth of 4” or less
will allow foods to cool rapidly.
Following cooking or hot holding,
immediately reduce the depth of the
food down to below 10cm (4”) and
promptly refrigerate after the
temperature is down to 63⁰C.
Covers trap hot air and foods cool
slower when covered, leave food
uncovered in the refrigerator until
it has cooled to below 4.5⁰C.
Check the rating of your refrigerator
or cooler to see if it has enough
power to cool down large quantities
of food at the same time.
 COOLING LIQUID FOODS:
• Reduce Food Depth to 4” or Less
• Refrigerate when Temperature is down
to 63⁰C
• Refrigerate Uncovered until Cold to
4.5⁰C or Colder
• Use an Ice and Water Bath
• Use Thermometer to Check Food
Temperatures while Cooling
• Cool to 4.5⁰C in 4 Hours or Less
Liquid food such as thin soups
and sauces may be cooled using
the shallow pan method or they can be
cooled using the ice and water method.
For shallow pan cooling, after cooking or
hot holding, immediately reduce the
depth of the food to 10cm (4”) and
refrigerate promptly after has gone down
to 63⁰C.
Leave foods uncovered until it has
cooled down to 4.5⁰C in the
refrigerator.
It is best to use shallow metal pans
for cooling. Shallow metal pans cool
foods faster.
 To properly cool foods using the ice
and water method, you must:
• Place a metal container of the hot food
in a large sink with the drain closed.
• Fill the sink with ice to the level of the
food inside the container being cooled.
• Add cold water to the ice.
• Stir the food frequently to promote
even cooling.
• Add more ice as it melts.
• Check the food temperatures with a
metal stem thermometer.
• Be certain you have cooled the food
from 40⁰C to below 4.5⁰C in 4 hours
or less.
• Cover and put the foods into the
refrigerator.
If you notice the food is not cooling
rapidly, you are probably attempting
to cool much hot food for the amount
of ice you have available.
If you have large quantities to cool,
break them down into smaller
containers and cool each of these in
separate ice baths, or reduce the food
depth to 4” or less and refrigerate.
Cooling is a time consuming step that
must be done properly. Inadequate
cooling is the number one cause of
food-borne disease (illness).
Be sure to use a metal stem
thermometer to check temperatures.
Whenever possible, avoid cooling.
Make foods fresh daily, just before
serving.
 ROOM TEMPERATURE STORAGE:
• Do not Store Readily Perishable
Foods at Room Temperature.
• Always keep Readily perishable
Foods above 60⁰C for Hot Foods and
4.5⁰C for Cold Foods.
• Avoid Lengthy Preparation, Cooling,
Heating and Reheating Times.
Bacteria that cause food-borne diseases
can grow rapidly in readily perishable
foods that are kept at room
temperatures. Foods kept out will warm
up or cool down foods that are kept at
room temperature.
All hot foods including meats, soups,
and sauces must either be kept at 60⁰C
or hotter or transferred in shallow
pans.
These foods must be immediately
refrigerated after the temperature is
down to 63⁰C or put in an ice bath for
proper cooling.
All cold foods including sandwich
ingredients, diced ham, cream-filled
pastries and liquid coffee creamers
must either be kept in a refrigeration
unit at 4.5⁰C or colder or properly
iced.
No room temperature storage of
readily perishable foods!
When preparing large quantities of
foods, remove only a small portion at
one time from refrigeration or hot
holding unit and keep the remainder
of the food hot or cold.
Readily perishable foods should never
be stored at room temperature.
 THAWING METHODS:
• In Refrigeration Units
• Under Cool Running Water
• In a Microwave Followed by
Immediate Cooking or Serving
Proper thawing requires that you plan
ahead. There are only three proven
methods for thawing or defrosting
readily perishable foods. They are:
• Thawing in a refrigerator,
• Under cool running water, and
• In a microwave.
Thawing is acceptable only if the
food is going to be cooled or served
immediately thereafter.
It is not acceptable to thaw readily
perishable foods on the counter, at
room temperature or in warm water
because these methods may allow
dangerous bacteria to grow in high
numbers.
ADVANCE PREPARATION OF READILY
PERISHABLE FOODS:
• Prepare Readily Perishable Foods
just Before Service Whenever
Possible.
Preparation of readily perishable foods
In advance should be avoided whenever
possible. Readily perishable foods
should be prepared just before service
to reduce health risks.
When foods are prepared too far ahead
of the service time, bacteria may have
time to grow in high numbers if proper
temperatures are not maintained. This
excessive bacterial growth could cause
food-borne disease.
Preparation just before the service is
much safer because bacteria do not
have enough time to grow.
Improper cooling methods, inadequate
refrigeration temperatures and
improper reheating techniques are very
common and these are some of the
main problems that lead to food-borne
diseases.
If foods are cooled, refrigerated and
reheated before service, the foods
become more hazardous.
These food handling problems can be
controlled if readily perishable foods
are prepared from fresh, properly
refrigerated ingredients, cooked, if
required and served immediately.
PREPARATION OF COLD SALADS AND
SANDWICH SPREADS:
• Use Utensils to Mix, Not Hands
• Use Ingredients that Have been Pre-
chilled to 4.5⁰C or Less
Foods like potato salad, macaroni
salad, egg salad and chicken salad
may allow growth of bacteria that
cause food-borne disease.
Dicing, slicing and mixing may
contaminate food with bacteria
from hands or work surfaces and
other food contact surfaces.
To keep bacteria from growing, all
ingredients must be properly cooled to
below 4.5⁰C before mixing the
ingredients together.
For example, potato salad should only
be made with cold eggs and cold
potatoes.
If the temperature of these foods is
between 4.5⁰C and 60⁰C, then the
bacteria could grow and cause food-
borne diseases.
 FAILURE OF EQUIPMENT:
• Make Sure Readily Perishable Foods
are Kept Hot (Over 60⁰C) or Cold
(Below 4.5⁰C).
• Close the Food Service Establishment
if: You Have an Extended Power
Outage or Loss of Water Supply or
Sewage Backup.
• Call the Health Department or CHO in
Particular for Help and Advice.
If your food service
establishment loses power or water
supply or sewage backs up into
the building, the operation must
be closed so that it does not
create a public health hazard.
If refrigeration breaks down but the
food temperatures are still below
4.5⁰C, move the foods to another unit
that is functioning properly.
If hot holding equipment fails and the
food is still above 60⁰C, move the food
to a unit capable of maintaining proper
temperatures, or rapidly cool these
foods using approved methods.
Use your metal stem thermometer to
check temperatures. If the foods are not
at proper temperatures, call the
Department of Health or the City Health
Office in particular for advice and
assistance.
END OF LECTURE