CHAPTER 9

• When prepping food: 

  • Only remove as much food from the cooler as you can prep in a short period of time (This limits time temperature abuse)
  • Return prepped food to the cooler or cook it as quickly as possible 
  • Make sure workstations, cutting boards, and utensils are clean and sanitized
• When prepping food: 

  Food and color additives: 

  • Only use additives approached by regulatory authority 
  • NEVER use more additives than are allowed by law 
  • NEVER use additives to alter the appearance of food 
  • Do NOT sell produce treated with sulfites before it was received in the operation 
  • NEVER add sulfites to produce that will be eaten raw
• Present food honestly:

  • Do NOT use the following to misrepresent the appearance of food (1) Food additives or color additive (2) Colored overwraps (3) Lights
  • Food not presented honestly must be thrown out.
• Four methods for thawing food:

  1. Thaw food in a cooler, keeping its temperature at 41F or lower
  2. Submerge food under running water at 70F (21C) or lower  
  3. Never let the temperature of the food go above 41F (5C) for longer than four hours 
  4. Thaw food in a microwave, only if cooked immediately after thawing 
  5. Thaw as part of the cooking process 
• Thawing ROP Fish 

  • Frozen fish received in ROP packaging must be thawed carefully. 
  • If the label states that the product must remain frozen until use, then remove fish from packaging: 
  • (1) Before thawing under refrigeration (2)Before or immediately after thawing under running water
• Prepping Specific Food Produce: 

  • Make sure produce does not touch surfaces exposed to raw meat, seafood, or poultry 
  • Wash it thoroughly under running water before 
  • (1) Cutting (2) Cooking (3) Combining with other ingredients
  • When soaking or storing produce in standing water or an ice-water slurry, do NOT mix
  • (1) Different items (2) Multiple batches of the same item
  • Refrigerate and hold sliced melons, cut tomatoes, and cut leafy green at 41ºF or lower 
  • Do NOT serve raw seed sprouts if primarily serving a high-risk population
• Wash produce thoroughly under running water. This is especially important before cutting, cooking, or combining it with other ingredients. The water should be a little warmer than the produce
• Eggs and Egg mixtures:

  • Handle pooled eggs (if allowed) with care 
  • (1) Cook promptly after mixing or store 41F (5C) or lower (2) Clean and sanitize containers between batches 
  • Consider using pasteurized shell eggs or egg products when prepping dishes that need little or no cooking
• Pooled eggs are eggs that are cracked open and combined in a container. Egg dishes requiring little or no cooking include Caesar salad dressing, Hollandaise sauce, tiramisu, and mousse. Use pasteurized eggs or egg products when serving raw or undercooked dishes to high-risk populations. 
• Eggs for High-Risk Populations: 

  • Use pasteurized shell eggs if eggs will be pooled
  • Use pasteurized eggs or egg products when serving raw or undercooked dishes 
  • (1) Unpasteurized shell eggs can be used if the dish will be cooked all the way through.
• Salads Containing TCS Food:  

  • Make sure leftover TCS ingredients have been handled safely by ensuring that they were 
  • (1) Cooked, held, and cooled correctly 
  • (2) Stored for less than seven days at 41F or lower
• Chicken, tuna, egg, pasta, and potato salads have all been involved in foodborne-illness outbreaks. These salads are not usually cooked after preparation. This means you do not have a chance to reduce pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, that may have gotten into the salad. Leftover TCS food such as pasta, chicken, and potatoes can be used only if it has been cooked, held, and cooled correctly.
• Ice: 

  • NEVER use ice as an ingredient if it was used to keep food cold 
  • Transfer ice using clean and sanitized containers and scoops 
  • NEVER hold ice in containers that held chemicals or raw meat, seafood, or poultry 
  • Store ice scoops outside ice machines in a clean, protected location 
  • NEVER use a glass to scoop ice or touch ice with hands 
• When cooking TCS food, the internal portion must: 

  • Reach the required minimum internal temperature 
  • Hold that temperature for a specific amount of time
• The only way to reduce pathogens in food to safe levels is to cook it to its required minimum internal temperature. This temperature is different for each food. If customers request that food items be cooked to temperatures lower than their minimum internal temperatures, you need to inform the customers of the potential risk of foodborne illness. Also be aware of special menu restrictions if you serve high-risk populations. While cooking reduces pathogens in food, it does not destroy spores or toxins they may have produced. You still must handle food correctly before you cook it. 
• When Checking Temperatures:

  • Pick a thermometer with a probe that is the correct size for the food 
  • Check the temperature in the thickest part of the food 
  • (1) Take at least two readings in different locations
• Minimum internal cooking temperature: 165F (74C) for 15 seconds:

  • Poultry – whole or ground chicken, turkey or duck 
  • Stuffing made with fish, meat, or poultry 
  • Stuffed meat, seafood, poultry, or pasta 
  • Dishes that include previously cooked, TCS ingredients
• Minimum internal cooking temperature: 155F (68C) for 15 seconds:

  • Ground meat – beef, pork, and other meat 
  • Injected meat – including brined ham and flavor-injected roasts 
  • Mechanically tenderized meat 
  • Ratites including ostrich and emu 
  • Ground seafood -including chopped or mince seafood  
  • Shell eggs that will hot held for service 145F (63C) for 15 seconds 
  • Seafood – including fish, shellfish, and crustaceans 
  • Steaks/chops of pork, beef, veal, and lamb 
  • Commercially raised game 
  • Shell eggs that will be served immediately 
• 145F (63C) for four minutes

  • Roast of pork, beef, veal, and lamb 
• Alternate cooking times/temperatures 

  • 130˚F (54˚C) 112 minutes 
  • 131˚F (55˚C) 89 minutes 
  • 133˚F (56˚C) 56 minutes 
  • 135˚F (57˚C) 36 minutes 
  • 136˚F (58˚C) 28 minutes 
  • 138˚F (59˚C) 18 minutes 
  • 140˚F (60˚C) 12 minutes 
  • 142˚F (61˚C) 8 minutes 
  • 144˚F (62˚C) 5 minutes 
• 135ºF (57ºC)

  • Fruit, vegetables, grains (rice, pasta), and legumes (beans, refried beans) that will be hot held for service 
• Cooking TCS Food in a Microwave 165ºF (74ºC) 

  • Meat 
  • Seafood 
  • Poultry 
  • Eggs
• Guidelines for microwave cooking: 

  • Cover food to prevent the surface from drying out 
  • Rotate or stir it halfway through cooking so heat reaches the food more evenly 
  • Let it stand for at least two minutes after cooking to let the food temperature even out 
  • Check the temperature in at least two places to make sure the food is cooked through
• Partial Cooking During Preparation 

  If partially cooking meat, seafood, poultry, or eggs or dishes containing these items: 

  • NEVER cook the food longer than 60 minutes during initial cooking 
  • Cool the food immediately after initial cooking 
  • Freeze or refrigerate the food after cooling it 
  • Heat the food to its required minimum internal temperature before selling or serving it 
  • Cool the food if it will not be served immediately or held for service 
• Consumer Advisories 

  If your menu includes raw or undercooked TCS items, you must:

  • Note it on the menu next to the items 
  • (1) Asterisk the item 
  • (2) Place a foothold at the menu bottom indicating the item is raw, undercooked, or contains raw or undercooked ingredients
  • Advise customers who order this food of the increased risk of foodborne illness 
  • (1) Post a notice in the menu 
  • (2) Provide this information using brochures, table tents, or signs
• Operations That Mainly Serve High-Risk Population

  NEVER serve:  

  • Raw seed sprouts 
  • Raw or undercooked eggs, meat, or seafood 
  • (1) Over-easy eggs 
  • (2) Raw oysters on the half shell 
  • (3) Rare hamburger  
• Cooling Food

  Pathogens grow well in the temperature danger zone. However, they grow much faster at temperatures between 125ºF and 70ºF (52ºC and 21ºC). Food must pass through this temperature range quickly to reduce this growth.
• Cooling Food

  Cool TCS food from 135ºF (57ºC) to 41ºF (5ºC) or lower within six hours. First, cool food from 135ºF to 70ºF (57ºC to 21ºC) within two hours then cool it at 41ºF or lower in the next four hours. If food has not reached 70ºF (21ºC) within two hours, it must be reheated and then cooled again.
• If you cool food from 135ºF to 70ºF (57ºC to 21ºC) in less than two hours:

  • Use the remaining time to cool it to 41ºF or lower 
  • The total cooling time cannot be longer than six hours Example:
  • If you cool food from 135˚F to 70˚F (57˚C to 21˚C) in one hour 
  • Then you have five hours to get the food to 41˚F (5˚C) or lower Before cooling food, start by reducing its size: 
  • (1) Cut larger items into smaller pieces 
  • (2) Divide large containers of food into smaller containers or shallow pans
• Methods for Cooling Food 

  Methods for cooling food safely and quickly: 

  • Place food in an ice-water bath 
  • Stir it will an ice paddle 
  • Place it in blast chiller 
• Reheating Food 

  Food reheated for immediate service:

  • Can be reheated to any temperature if it was cooked and cooled correctly
• Food reheated for hot holding:

  • Must be reheated to an internal temperature of 165˚F (74˚C) for 15 seconds within 2 hours 
  • Reheat commercially processed and packaged ready-to-eat food internal temperature of at least 135˚F (57˚C)