Holding, Cooling, Reheating, and Service
Domain 5 tests time-temperature control after cooking: hot holding, cold holding, cooling, reheating, date marking, and service. These are high-yield calculations because one cooling mistake can allow rapid pathogen growth.
Holding
- Cold hold TCS foods at 41°F or below.
- Hot hold TCS foods at 135°F or above.
- Check temperatures at least every 4 hours; use time as a public health control only with written procedures.
Cooling
Cool cooked TCS food in two stages:
- 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours.
- 70°F to 41°F within 4 more hours.
- Total cooling time must not exceed 6 hours. Use shallow pans, ice baths, and loose covers; do not tightly cover hot food.
Reheating and service
- Reheat TCS food to 165°F for 15 seconds within 2 hours.
- Reheat only once; do not use hot holding to reheat.
- Date-mark ready-to-eat TCS foods; discard after 7 days at 41°F or below.
- Use clean utensils and avoid bare-hand contact during service.
Worked example
Soup cools from 135°F to 70°F in 1.5 hours, then from 70°F to 41°F in 3.5 hours. Total cooling is 5 hours, within the 6-hour limit, and each stage meets its limit. Accept the cooling process.
Traps
Do not count only the second cooling stage. Do not reheat food in a hot-holding unit. Do not hold food without temperature control unless written time procedures are followed.