Food Handling, Storage and Temperature Control
Temperature control
Keep food out of the danger zone of 5–63°C. Chilled storage is 0–5°C; frozen storage is -18°C or colder. Hot holding is 63°C or above. Cook poultry, minced meat, rolled roasts and reheated food to a core of 74°C. Cool cooked food from 63°C to 21°C within 2 hours and from 21°C to 5°C within a further 4 hours; use shallow pans, ice baths or a blast chiller.
Receiving and storage
Check vehicle and product temperatures, packaging and labels at receiving. Reject chilled food above 5°C unless the supplier can show a controlled short period; reject thawed frozen food and damaged packaging. Use FIFO or FEFO, keep raw below cooked, and store dry goods off the floor and away from walls.
Cross-contamination
Use separate colour-coded boards, utensils and sinks for raw and ready-to-eat food. Wash hands between tasks. Never thaw at room temperature; thaw in the refrigerator, microwave or cold running water.
Worked example
A large pot of stew is left on the counter to cool overnight. Reasoning: the centre stays in the danger zone for hours. Decant into shallow trays, cool to 21°C within 2 hours and 5°C within 4 more hours, then refrigerate. Reheat only once to 74°C.
Traps
Judging temperature by touch; overloading the fridge; reheating twice; holding food hot below 63°C; thawing on the bench.