Cooling hot foods is a very important and difficult task for most restaurants. Hot foods that won’t be served right away must be rapidly cooled down and stored in a cold-holding unit below 41° Fahrenheit (F). If this process is done improperly, bacteria will grow, leading to poisoning customers who eat the contaminated food. Reheating will kill some bacteria, but other bacteria form spores and toxins that are heat stable and won’t be killed in the reheating process. Having an effective cooling process will help protect the quality of the food as well as provide a good defense against foodborne illness. Proper Cooling Times and Temperatures Food must be cooled from 140° F to 70° F in the … [Read more...]
Fight Foodborne Illness: Know the Right Temperature
All restaurants battle with the problem of keeping food in temperature. Knowing the right temperatures for food is key in fighting foodborne illness. Temperature abuse is the most difficult problem to control in the kitchen and can have the worst consequences. All potentially hazardous foods (for example, meats, pastas, cooked foods, cut tomatoes, melons, and cut leafy greens) must not be held between 41⁰ F–135⁰ F. This is what is called the danger zone. If these foods are held in this zone, bacteria that is already present will begin to grow. This is what leads to foodborne illness. What factors are keeping you from controlling temperatures? Equipment: Old, unmaintained, broken, … [Read more...]
Reduce Your Risk of Foodborne Illness, Control Critical Violations
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Respro Food Safety Professionals is an organization of licensed health inspectors dedicated to supporting the restaurant industry in food safety education. We do this through on-site inspections, supplemental training, and food safety consulting. This blog will provide training and tips on the best practices for controlling food safety in restaurants and other food service facilities. Every day, food establishments accept and handle food items that are already contaminated with pathogens that can make your customers sick. Good management practices and policies should be in place to properly manage critical areas of your food operation. Listed below are the 10 most important areas that, if … [Read more...]
Dennis Keith has been working as a restaurant and food safety professional for more than 20 years.