Chill Out: The Importance of Cold Temperatures in Food Safety 1

How Long Does It Take to Chill Food? 2 Gravy at 197°F Room temperature Refrigerator Ice Bath

Gravy Temperature Data Plot the data in the table on graph paper 3 Cooled at Room Temperature (70°F) Cooled in the Refrigerator (40°F) Cooled in an Ice (33°F) Time when temperature was taken* Deep container Shallow container Deep container Shallow container Deep container Shallow container Start (0 min)197° 15 minutes168°148°169°130°140°114° 30 minutes150°131°144°124°115°87° 45 minutes137°116°131°110°97°73° 1 hour124°104°117°97°83°62° 1:15115°96°106°89°74°57° 1:30105°89°97°81°69°52° 1:45101°83°91°74°64°51° 2:0096°82°87°72°62°49° 2:1590°78°82°67°59°47° 2:3085°75°74°62°57°44° 2:4580°**69°67°55°51°41° 3:0078°65°53°45° 3:3075°62°51°41° 4:0072°59°48° 4:30**70°58°44° 5:0056°42° 5:3053°41° 6:0051°

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Importance of Cold Temperatures Stops or severely limits pathogen growth Bacteria do not grow at freezer temperatures 5

Importance of Cold Temperatures Temperature of PHF is critical during: Thawing Holding Preparation Cooling hot foods Transporting 6

Importance of Cold Temperatures Improper cooling can cause foodborne illness outbreaks, particularly when cooling large quantities of food Linda’s account of botulism from a baked potato that was held at room temperature and not cooled Some pathogens form spores if food is not cooled properly 7

Common Errors in Temperature Handling of Food Thawing of frozen food at room temperature Potentially hazardous food in the Danger Zone Slow cooling of hot foods 8

Thawing Potentially Hazardous Foods Refrigerator Running potable water As part of the cooking process 9

Thawing in the Refrigerator Allow adequate time— think ahead Time depends on amount, shape, and water content A rule of thumb— 5 hours per pound of meat 10

Thawing Under Potable Running Water 70°F or cooler Takes less time 3 pounds of meat— 3-4 hours 11

Thawing as Part of the Cooking Process Continuously cooking from a frozen state until reaches required temperature If thawed in microwave oven, must be cooked immediately 12

Holding Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHFs) The Idaho Food Code requires PHF be held: – above 135°F (hot holding) – below 41°F (cold holding) 13

Holding Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHFs) If PHF are between 41°F and 135°F for more than 4 hours, they must be discarded PHF held refrigerated more than 24 hours must be date marked 14

Cooling Requirements for PHF Foods The Idaho Food Code requires potentially hazardous be cooled from: – 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours – 70°F to 41°F within an additional 4 hours – 6 hours total (2-stage cooling) 15 °F Hours

Techniques for Safe Cooling Ice bath or ice wand Cold water bath—if ice is not available Shallow pans 16 vs

Container Size Affects Cooling Time How long to cool water from 135°F to 41°F under refrigeration? 17

Chilling and Thawing Review 18 Source: Idaho Central District Health Department

Food Service Refrigeration Items are too closely spaced for air circulation Items are spaced properly for air circulation 19

Why do temperatures of potentially hazardous foods require careful control? Name three methods to properly thaw foods Understanding Check! 20 To reduce growth of pathogenic bacteria. In the refrigerator Under cold (<70°F) running water As part of the cooking process

How long can PHF be held at room temperature? The temperature for cold holding of PHF is ___°F or below If PHF are held refrigerated for longer than 24 hours, they must be marked with ___ Understanding Check! 21 4 hours 41°F The date the PHF must be used by, within 7 days

Understanding Check! Describe the two stage cooling process How do you load a refrigerator or freezer? 22 Cool from 135° to 70°F within 2 hours and from 70° to 41°F within 4 more hours Allow space around items so air can circulate. Do not overload with hot foods

23 Who Left the Food Out? Who left the food out? A friend came up to me and said we’ve got a safety problem What should we do, I don’t know I guess we’ll go ahead and take a chance The guests arrived and they started eatin’ Who left the food out? On the day of the party the kitchen was jumpin’ (Yippie-I-O) Lots of good food all over the place (Yippie-I-O) Problem was we couldn’t keep it all chillin’ (Yippie-I-O) After a while, the fridge had no space So we used the counter

24 Who Left the Food Out? (Yippie-I-O) They’d eat a lot and then eat some more (Yippie-I-O) But after a while they stomachs be hurtin’ (Yippie-I-O) And the line to the bathroom went out the front door And the guests were screaming

25 Who Left the Food Out? Who left the food out? A party host shouldn’t make his guests sick (When in doubt just throw it out, when in doubt just throw it out) A party host shouldn’t make his guests sick (When in doubt just throw it out, when in doubt just throw it out) Who left the food out? Don’t leave the food out