Time and Temperature Control
The danger zone
Bacteria multiply fastest between 41°F and 135°F. Hold cold food at 41°F or lower and hot food at 135°F or higher. Check temperatures with a clean, sanitized, calibrated thermometer - ice-point calibration is 32°F in an ice-water slurry.
Cooking temperatures
Poultry (whole or ground) and stuffed foods: 165°F. Ground meat, ratites, and injected meats: 155°F. Whole cuts of beef and pork, fish, and eggs for immediate service: 145°F. Reheat previously cooked food for hot holding to 165°F within 2 hours.
Cooling and thawing
Cool cooked food in two stages: 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then 70°F to 41°F within 4 more hours (6 hours total). Use shallow pans, ice baths, ice paddles, or dividers - never a deep, tightly covered pot. Thaw in the refrigerator, under running water at 70°F or below, in a microwave if cooked immediately, or as part of cooking. Never thaw on a counter.
Date marking and time as a control
Ready-to-eat TCS food held more than 24 hours must be marked and used within 7 days at 41°F or lower, counting the prep or opening day as day 1. If using time instead of temperature, food may be held no more than 4 hours before discard.
Rule of thumb
The classic trap is the big pot of soup left to cool on the stove or wheeled into the walk-in whole. Worked example: soup finishes cooking at 190°F at noon. Correct action: divide it into shallow pans, place in an ice bath, and verify it reaches 70°F by 2 p.m. and 41°F by 6 p.m.