Holding Food Chapter 8

Group 2

Guidelines for Holding Food

• Temperature- Hold TCS food at the right internal temp.–Hot food @ 135°F or higher. This will prevent pathogens such as Bacillus cereus –Cold food @ 41°F or lower. This will prevent pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus

• Thermometer- Use a thermometer to check foods internal temperature. Never use the temperature gauge on a holding unit to do it. The gauge does not check the internal temp. of food.

Thermometer

Time- Check food temperature at least every 4 hours– Throw out food that is not 41°F or lower 135°F

or higher– You can also check the temperature every 2

hours. This will leave time for corrective action.– Hot Holding Equipment- Never use hot holding

equipment to reheat food unless it is built to do so

Policies/Food covers and sneeze guards

• Policies- create policies about how long the operation will hold food. Also, create policies about when to throw away food held

• Food covers and sneeze guards- Cover food and install sneeze guards to protect food from contaminants.

Holding food w/o temp. control

• When displaying food for a short time, such as at an off site catered event.

• When electricity is not available to power holding equiptment.

Cold Food

Cold Food- can hold up to 6 hours under these conditions:

• 1. hold at 41°F or lower • 2. Label food with time you removed

it and time you must throw it out. • 3. Cant exceed 70°F while being

served. • 4. Sell, serve, or throw out food

within 6 hours.

Hot Food

Hot food- You can hold hot food without temperature control for up to 4 hours if you meet conditions

1. Hold at 135°F or higher before removing it from temperature control

2. Label the food with the time you must thow it out.

3. Sell, serve, or throw out within four hours

Serving Food –Kitchen Staff Guidelines

• Bare-hand contact with food- Handle RTE food with tongs, deli sheets, or gloves.

(if regulatory authorities allow bare-hand contact, it must outline policies for -1.employee health 2.employee training in handwashing and personal hygiene)

• Clean and sanitize utensils-at least once/4 hrs. Spoons/scoops can be stored in water 135˚

Service Staff Guidelines

• Hold dishes by the bottom or edge• Hold glasses by the middle, bottom, or stem• Do NOT touch the food contact areas of dishes

or glassware

• Carry glasses in a rack or on a tray to avoid touching the food-contact surfaces.

• Stacking china and glassware can cause them to chip and break

• Do NOT stack glasses when carrying them. • Hold flatware by the handle. Store w/ handles up.• Do NOT hold flatware by food-contact surfaces. • Minimize bare-hand contact with food that is RTE• Use ice scoops or tongs to get ice• NEVER scoop ice with your bare hands or a glass.

Preset Tableware

• Extra settings must be removed from table when guests are seated or

• clean and sanitized after guests have left.

Re-serving Food• Menu items -Do NOT re-serve food returned

by one customer to another customer.• Condiments- NEVER re-serve condiments or

combine leftover condiments with fresh ones.• Bread or rolls- Do NOT re-serve uneaten bread• Garnishes –NEVER re-serve plate garnishes,

such as fruit or pickles• Pre-packaged food- only unopened, pre-

packaged food can be re-served.

Self-Service Areas • Sneeze guards- Protect food on display with

sneeze guards or food shields.

14” above 7” beyond

the counter the food

• Labels-label containers located on self-service areas.

Self-Service Areas• Temperature- Keep hot food hot, 135˚or

higher and cold food cold, 41˚or lower• Raw and RTE food- keep raw meat, seafood,

and poultry separate from RTE food in self-service areas

• Refills- Do not let customers refill dirty plates or use dirty utensils a self-service areas. Norovirus is easily transferred this way.

• Ice- ice used to keep food or beverages cold should NEVER be used as an ingredient.

Off-Site Service• Food containers- pack food in insulated containers that

keep food 135˚or higher and cold food cold, 41˚or lower

• Delivery vehicles- keep clean• Internal temperature-check internal food temperatures. • Labels-label food with a use-by date and time, and

reheating and service instructions for staff at off-site locations.

• Utilities: Service site needs right utilities (safe water and garbage containers stored away from food-prep, storage and serving areas.

• Storage- store raw meat, seafood, and poultry and RTE items separately.

Vending Machines

• Check product shelf life daily.• Keep TCS food at the right temperature.

135˚or higher and cold food cold, 41˚or lower• Dispense TCS food in its original container• Wash and wrap fresh fruit with edible peels

before putting it in a machine.