8-1

Learning Objectives
At the end of the chapter the participants must
be able to:

Identify proper methods for thawing food.

Identify the minimum internal cooking times and
temperatures for potentially hazardous food.
Identify the proper procedure for cooking potentially
hazardous food in a microwave.
Identify methods and time and temperature requirements
for cooling cooked food.
Identify time and temperature requirements for reheating
cooked, potentially hazardous food.
Identify methods for preventing contamination and time
and temperature abuse when preparing food.
Recognize the importance of informing consumers of
risks when serving raw or undercooked food.
8-2

Thawing Food
The Four Acceptable Methods for Thawing
Food
In a refrigerator, at 41F (5C) or lower
Submerged under running potable water, at a
temperature of 70F (21C) or lower
In a microwave oven, if the food will be cooked
immediately after thawing
As part of the cooking process

8-3

Preparing Specific Food: Salads Containing PHFs

When preparing salads containing
potentially hazardous ingredients:

Make sure leftover ingredients (i.e., pasta, chicken,

potatoes) have been handled safely by ensuring
they were:

Cooked, held, and cooled properly

Stored for less than 7 days

Prepare product in small batches

Refrigerate ingredients until the point they are

needed

Chill all ingredients and utensils prior to using them

8-4

Preparing Specific Food: Eggs and Egg Mixtures

When preparing eggs and egg
mixtures:

Handle pooled eggs (if allowed) with care:

Cook promptly after mixing or store at 41F (5C)

or lower

Clean and sanitize containers between batches

Use pasteurized shell eggs or egg products when

preparing dishes requiring little or no cooking (i.e.,
hollandaise sauce)

Promptly clean and sanitize equipment and utensils

used to prepare eggs
8-5

Preparing Specific Food: Eggs and Egg Mixtures

When preparing eggs for high risk
populations:

Pasteurized eggs or egg products must be used

when dishes will be served raw or undercooked

Unpasteurized shell eggs may be used if

the dish will be cooked all the way through (i.e.,
omelets, cakes)

If shell eggs will be pooled for a recipe

they must be pasteurized

8-6

Preparing Specific Food: Produce

When preparing produce:

Wash it thoroughly under running water before

cutting, cooking, or combining with other
ingredients

Use water slightly warmer than the temperature

of the produce

Pull leafy greens apart and rinse thoroughly

Clean and sanitize surfaces used to prepare

produce

8-7

Preparing Specific Food: Produce

When preparing produce: continued

Prevent contact with surfaces exposed to raw meat

or poultry

Prepare produce away from raw meat, poultry,

eggs, and cooked and ready-to-eat food

Clean and sanitize the workspace and all utensils

used during preparation

8-8

Preparing Specific Food: Produce

When preparing produce: continued

When soaking or storing produce in standing water

or an ice water slurry, do not mix:

Different items

Multiple batches of the same item

Refrigerate and hold cut melons at 41F (5C) or

lower

Do not add sulfites

Do not serve raw seed sprouts to high risk

populations

8-9

Preparing Specific Food: Fresh Juice

To package fresh juice for later sale:

A variance is required from the regulatory agency

The juice must be treated (e.g., pasteurized)

according to an approved HACCP plan

As an alternative, the juice must contain a warning

label indicating the product has not been
pasteurized and may contain harmful bacteria.

8-10

Cooking Food
When cooking potentially hazardous food,
the internal portion must:
Reach the required minimum internal temperature
Hold that temperature for a specific amount of time
Cooking Poultry:
(including whole or ground chicken, turkey, and duck)
Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature:
165F (74C) for 15 seconds
Cooking Stuffing: Stuffing made with potentially
hazardous ingredients; Stuffed meat, fish,
poultry, and pasta
Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature:
165F (74C) for 15 seconds
8-11

Cooking Dishes with Potentially Hazardous

Ingredients
When including previously cooked,
potentially hazardous ingredients
in the dish:
Cook ingredients to a minimuminternal
temperature of:
165F (74C) for 15 seconds
When including raw potentially hazardous
ingredients in the dish:
Cook raw ingredients to their required
minimum internal temperature

8-12

Cooking Potentially Hazardous Food in a Microwave

Potentially hazardous food cooked in a
microwave: (eggs, poultry, fish, and meat)
Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature:
165F (74C)
When cooking food in a microwave:
Cover it to prevent the surface from drying out
Rotate or stir it halfway through the cooking process to
distribute the heat more evenly
Let it stand for at least 2 minutes after cooking to let the
product temperature equalize
Check the temperature in several places to ensure that it
is cooked through

8-13

Cooking Ground and Injected Meat

Ground Meat (including beef, pork, other meat)
Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature:
155F (68C) for 15 seconds
Injected Meat (including brined ham and flavor-injected
roasts)
Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature:
155F (68C) for 15 seconds

8-14

Cooking Pork, Beef, Veal, Lamb and Fish

Pork, Beef, Veal, Lamb
Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature:
Steaks/Chops: 145F (63C) for 15 seconds
Roasts: 145F (63C) for 4 minutes
Fish Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature:
145F (63C) for 15 seconds
Ground, chopped, minced fish Minimum Internal Cooking
Temperature:
155F (68C) for 15 seconds

8-15

Cooking Eggs, Fruit or Vegetables

Eggs for immediate service Minimum
Internal Cooking Temperature:
145F (63C) for 15 seconds
Eggs that will be hot-held Minimum Internal
Cooking Temperature:
155F (68C) for 15 seconds
Fruit or vegetables that will be hot-held for
service
Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature:
135F (57C)
8-16

Cooking Commercially Processed, Ready-to-Eat Food

Commercially processed, ready-to-eat
food that will be hot-held for service

(cheese sticks, fried vegetables, chicken wings, etc.)

Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature:

135F (57C) for 15 seconds

8-17

Cooling Food: Requirements and Prior to Cooling

Cool potentially hazardous food from:
135F to 70F (57C to 21C) within 2 hours
And then from
70F to 41F (21C to 5C) or lower in the next 4
hours
Before cooling food, start by reducing its size:
Cut larger items into smaller pieces
Divide large containers of food into smaller containers
or shallow pans

8-18

Cooling Food: Methods for Cooling Food

Safe methods for cooling food:
Place it in an ice-water bath
Place containers into a sink or large pot filled
with ice water
Stir the food frequently

Stir it with an ice paddle

Food cools faster when placed in an ice-water
bath and stirred with an ice paddle

Place it in a blast chiller

Blast chillers blast cold air across food at high
speeds to remove heat
They are useful for cooling large items
8-19

Cooling Food: Methods for Cooling Food

Safe methods for cooling food: continued
Place it in a tumble chiller
Tumble chillers tumble bags of hot food in cold water
They are useful for cooling thick food
Add ice or cold water as an ingredient
The recipe is prepared with less water than required
Cold water or ice is then added later to cool the product
and provide the remaining water
Use a steam-jacketed kettle (if properly equipped)
Run cold water through the jacket to cool the food

8-20

Reheating Potentially Hazardous Food

Food reheated for immediate service:
Can be served at any temperature if it was properly
cooked and cooled
Potentially hazardous food reheated for hot
holding:
Must be reheated to an internal temperature of 165F
(74C) for 15 seconds within 2 hours
Discard it if it has not reached this temperature
within 2 hours

8-21

Apply Your Knowledge: Test Your Food Safety Knowledge

1. True or False: Ground beef should be cooked to a
minimum internal temperature of 140F (60C) for fifteen
seconds
2. True or False: Fish cooked in a microwave must be heated
to a minimum internal temperature of 145F (63C)
3. True or False: Potentially hazardous food must be cooled
from 135F to 70F (57C to 21C) within four hours and
from 70F to 41F (21C to 5C) or lower within the next two
hours
4. True or False: If potentially hazardous food is reheated for
hot holding, the internal temperature must reach 155F
(68C) for fifteen seconds within two hours
5. True or False: It is acceptable to thaw a beef roast
at room temperature
8-228-22

Apply Your Knowledge: Whats the Temperature?

What is the minimum internal cooking
temperature for each of these items?
1. Salmon steak
2. Green beans that will be hot held
3. Ground pork
4. Lamb chops
5. Eggs for immediate service
6. Duck
7. Precooked frozen hot wings
8. Steak
9. Chicken enchiladas prepared with previously
cooked chicken
10. Pork loin injected with marinade
8-238-23