Module 6

The Food Product Flow

At the end of this module you are expected to:

1. Apply the correct ways in purchasing and receiving food;

2. Employ the appropriate method of storing perishable, semi-perishable, and non-
perishable food;
3. Establish the significance of time temperature as factors affecting food safety and
sanitation during preparation and service; and
4. Demonstrate the sanitation practices in thawing, preparing, cooking of food

The flow of food describes what happens to food from the time it enters the workplace
until it is served to the consumers. It refers to a process receiving, storing, preparing,
cooking, holding, serving, cooling and reheating that the food goes through in a food
service facility.

Each step in the flow of food is a general food safety procedure that should be follows
to help reduce the risk of contamination and mishandling which could consequently lead
to foodborne illness outbreaks.

Figure 6.1 The Flow of Food

Purchasing

Effective purchasing paves the easy for a successful food service operation.
Purchasing is a highly skill-based activity that requires a wide-ranging knowledge of
products and market conditions.

Purchasing involves obtaining the necessary foods in the right quantity of the best
quality, at the right time, in the right place, and for the most economical price. A quality
control program in a food establishment should ensure that only foods which meet written
specifications are purchased from reputable vendors. A good purchaser, considers the
price, supply and demand, transportation, and storage cost before placing an order.

Purchase specifications are important to both the buyer and the management. The
following are the guidelines that detail the characteristics of a product:

 Quality grade
 Weight
 Count
 Contents
 Packaging

Specification make the task of comparison shopping easier, since the characteristics
of a product are expressed in a common language and can be used as a basis for
evaluation.

Guidelines to Purchasing Food

1. Understand regulations for specific foods.

 Purchase packaged or processed foods only from suppliers who receive their
products from licensed, reputable purveyors and manufacturers who adhere to
good manufacturing practices.
 Fresh produced may be purchased directly from local growers as there is no
inspection process for these non-potentially hazardous foods. When making
direct purchase, buyers should ensure the packages are clean and will maintain
the integrity of the item, as communicated through product specifications.
  Meat and eggs may be purchased from local producers, but because these
foods are considered potentially hazardous, the products must be inspected for
safety. Beef or pork processed in a state-inspected locker may be purchased
by a food service operation. Poultry must also be processed in a state-
inspected locker or facility. These facilities are required to have HACCP plans
in place.
2. Visit approved vendors to ensure that they maintain clean warehouses.
3. Observe delivery vehicles to ensure that they are clean and that they practice
temperature control.
4. Use written product specifications to ensure that the vendors know what is to be
ordered.

Responsibilities of a Manager

1. Develop and implement written product specifications to ensure the products

purchased consistently meet department expectations.
2. Coordinate delivery times with vendors to ensure that deliveries are made at time
when they can be stored immediately.
3. Review orders and delivery information to ensure orders and product specifications
are met.
4. Request a written letter from all vendors indicating that they follow either a HACCP
program or good manufacturing practices.
5. Follow up necessary.

Figure 6.2 Purchasing a Product

Receiving

Strict procedures should be followed when foods are received. All foods should be
checked for proper conditions once they are received by the facility. When a delivery is
made, it should be checked for both quality and quantity. Temperature and time are the
two most important factors to control.

All refrigerated foods should be put away quickly to prevent time and temperature
abuse. Frozen foods should not have large ice crystals, be discolored or dried out.
Canned goods should have labels, and no swelling, flawed seams, rust, or dents. Never
accept home-canned foods to prevent the risk of botulism.

General Principles when Receiving Food

1. Receive only one delivery at a time from approved suppliers.

2. Check to make sure frozen food is solid and does not show any evidence of
thawing and re-freezing.
3. Record the date received, and if applicable, an expiration date, on the outside of
each package.
4. Remove PHF from the temperature danger zone (5°C to 60°C) and place on
storage as quickly as possible.
5. Check to ensure that refrigerated foods are received below 5°C.
6. Accept only pasteurized dairy products
7. Reject PHF that are not acceptable temperature, and cans with swelled tops or
bottoms, leakage, flawed seals, rust or dents.
8. Evaluate the quality products through odor, look, and texture. Reject unacceptable
ones.

Receiving Frozen and Refrigerated Foods

1. Check the product’s temperature with a calibrates thermometer to assure that cold
foods, especially PHF, are below 5°C.
2. Reject, with the exception of fresh shell eggs (7°C), all foods that are supposed to
be stored below 5°C and are delivered above 5°C.
 3. Check at random and record the temperature of three different types of food items
immediately for each delivery. Record the date, employee initials, vendors, product
name and temperature of these products in the receiving temperature log.
4. Place food in the proper storage area (cooler or freezer) quickly to avoid potential
bacterial growth.
5. Keep products in original packages until use.

Receiving Dry Goods

1. Check dry goods for leaks, flaws, or broken packages. Dry goods should be dry,
and free of molds and insects. If the packages are flawed, they should be rejwcted
and put in a designated area for credit.
2. Inspect can leaks, incomplete labels, dents, bulges and other visible signs of
damage. Notify the manager if a damaged can is found.
3. Date boxes and cans with their receiving dates.
4. Separate chemicals from foods.
5. Check delivery invoice against the items delivered and the purchase order.
6. Note on the invoice any items that were rejected.

Figure 6.3. Receiving of product by checking the temperature, quality & quantity
Storing

All food, chemicals and supplies should be stored in a manner that ensures quality
and maximizes the safety of the food served to the costumers.

Cold holding is storing food at 5°C below. Refrigeration prevents food from becoming
a hazard by slowing the growth of most microbes. Although some organism like Listeria
monocytogenes ( a Gram-positive bacterium, in the division Firmicutes, named
after Joseph Lister. Its ability to grow at temperatures as low as 0 °C permits multiplication
at typical refrigeration temperatures, greatly increasing its ability to evade control in
human foodstuffs.) are significantly slowed down, their growth cannot be completely
stopped by refrigeration.

A walk-in refrigerator is the major cold storage area in a food service establishment.
Its temperature must be sufficient to adequately hold the food temperature at 5°C or
below.

Foods needed to be stored to prevent contamination. All cooked food and those that
will receive no further cooking should be stored above other foods.

All canned foods and dry ingredients should be stored in a designated area. Foods
should not be stored in areas such as restrooms, furnace rooms, stairwells, or hallways.
They should be kept off floor and in closed containers.

Storage area should be well ventilated and pest free. Dry storage areas can become
a food source for rodents and insects.

Foods and chemicals need to be stored separately. Chemicals should be stored below
and away from foods to prevent chemical contamination.

Storage upon Receiving

1. Place foods in the proper storage area (refrigerator or freezer) quickly to avoid
bacterial growth.
 5°C or lower – refrigerator temperatures
 -3°C to 0°C or below – deep chill storage temperatures
  -17°C or below – freezer temperatures
 10°C to 21°C at 50 to 60% humidity – dry storage temperatures
2. Place foods in appropriate storage areas immediately upon receipt in the following
order:
a. Refrigerated foods – store foods in designated refrigerators. If food products
are stored together in a refrigerator, they should be places on shelves in the
following order:
Prepared or ready to eat foods
Fish and seafood items
Whole cuts of raw beefs
Whole cuts of raw pork
Ground or processed meat
Raw poultry
b. Frozen foods
c. Dry foods
3. Keep all food items on shelves that are at least six inches above the floor to
facilitate air circulation and proper cleaning.
4. Store food away from direct sunlight.
5. Place chemicals and supplies in appropriate storage areas, away from food.
6. Make sure all goods are dated with their receiving and expiration dates
7. Store PHF no longer than seven days at 5°C from date of preparation.
8. Store pesticides and chemicals away from food handling and storage areas.

Storeroom Sanitation

1. Maintain clean and uncluttered storage areas.

2. Dispose items that are beyond their expiration dates.

3. Store all items on shelves that are at least six inches above the floor to facikitate air
circulation and proper cleaning.

4. Check for signs of rodents or insects.

Responsibilities of a Food Service Manager

1. Check logs and temperature of storage rooms, freezers, and refrigerators.

2. Review logs to make sure there are no temperature deviation.
3. Document all corrective actions taken on the appropriate forms.

Figure 6.3. Examples on how to store foods

Thawing

Thawing is the process of ice, snow, or another frozen substance becoming liquid or
soft as a result of warming up.

All foods should be thawed using the appropriate practices to ensure food safety.
Thawing foods may take several hours or days depending on the size of the food item
being thawed. This must be done to reduce the risk of cross-contamination and lessen
the time that PHF is in the temperature danger zone (5°C to 60°C).

Steps for Thawing Food

1. Use one of the three acceptable methods for thawing food:

 a. Thaw food in the refrigerator at 5°C or below. NEVER thaw food at room
temperature.
b. Thaw food that is needed for immediate service under potable running water at
21°C or lower. Prepare the product within four hours of thawing.
c. Thaw the product in the microwave if it needs to be cooked immediately.
2. Use the lowest shelf in the cooler for thawing raw meat to prevent cross-
contamination and separate raw products from cooked and ready-to-eat products.
3. Do not refreeze thawed food, unless they are cooked or processes.

Responsibilities of a Food Service Supervisor

1. Review procedures to assure that they are done correctly.

2. Take corrective actions as necessary.
3. Follow up as necessary.

Figure 6.4 Thawing of food

Preparing
 The preparation and service of foods can involve one or more steps. Regardless
of how many steps may be involved in food production and service, foodborne illness
prevention requires effective food safety measures to ensure good personal hygiene and
avoid cross-contamination and temperature abuse.

During preparation, an important technique that can be used to promote safety is

“small batch” preparation. Food preparation is usually done at room temperature. This is
several degrees into the temperature danger zone the amount of time the food is in
danger zone should be limited by working with small, manageable amounts of potentially
hazardous ingredients.

Keeping Food out of the Temperature Danger Zone

Anytime that food is in the temperature danger zone, bacterial growth can occur. The
danger zone is between the range 5°C to 60°C.

1. Limit the time food is in the temperature danger zone. Remember that from
receiving to service, food should not be in the zone for more than four hours total.
2. Use a food thermometer to take temperature.
3. Use batch cooking (preparing food in small amounts).
a. Thaw only what is needed, and keep the rest refrigerated.
b. Work only with an amount that can be prepared in less than hours. Return
the food to the refrigerator if something else needs to be done.
c. Cook the food as close to serving time as possible.

Figure 6.5. Preparation of

Food

Food thermometers
 Food thermometers should be uses frequently to maintain food temperature
control. They can measure internal temperatures ranging from -18°C to 104°C. Food
temperatures should be checked with a thermometer regularly. Foods used in outdoors
service or in an excessively warm room will require more frequent checking. The food
service operator may also want to record the temperature readings in a log. This can be
very helpful should a food temperature issue arises at a later time.

The following are the most commonly used thermometers:

a. Bimetal Instant Read (most common food thermometer)

b. Thermocouple
c. Bimetal-Oven-Safe
d. Digital
e. Infrared
f. Oven Thermometer

A. Bimetal read B. Thermocouple C. Bimetal-Oven-Safe

D. Digital E. Infrared F. Oven Thermometer

Figure 6.6. Different types of Food Thermometers

Cooking
 All foods will be cooked using appropriate practices and procedures to ensure
safety. This includes properly cooking foods with the required internal temperatures, and
taking and recording temperatures.

Cooking is the thermal heating of foods at sufficient temperature over time to kill
microorganisms in the food. Cooking requirements are based on the biology of pathogens
since different species of microorganisms have different susceptibilities to heat.

To effectively eliminate pathogens, there are number of factors to consider, such

as the lev of pathogens in the raw product, the initial temperature of the food, and the
bulk of the food. Another factor to consider, to kill the pathogenic organisms in food, is
that cooking must heat all parts of the food to their required temperature.

Food characteristics also contribute to the lethality of cooking temperatures. Heat

penetrates different foods at different rates. While a high fat content reduces the lethality
of heat, high humidity in the cooking container or the moisture content of the food aids
the effectiveness of heat. (Jefferson Country Public Health, n. d)

Employees involved in the production of food must complete the following steps:

Prepare hot foods

1. Cook hot foods to these minimum end point temperatures or higher. Avoid
overcooking. Use a calibrated thermometer to check the product’s temperature in
the thickest part of the item.

Figure 6.7. Cooking Guidelines

2. Take end-point cooking temperatures.

3. Reduce the holding time of foods before serving by using batch cooking.
 4. Allow the cooking equipment to return to their require temperatures between
batches.
5. Do not use hot holding equipment to cook or reheat foods.
6. Expose food ingredients to room temperature for two hours or less. Food items
should be returned to the refrigerator if not used at once.
7. Prepare products that will not be cooked or heated away from other products.

Take temperatures:

1. Use a calibrated thermometer to take the temperatures of all PHF products by

batch.
2. Wipe the thermometer stem with alcohol wipes prior to and after taking the
temperatures of each food; or wash, rinse and sanitize them.
3. Take temperatures in the thickest part of a food item (usually the center). Two
readings should be taken in different locations to assure thorough cooking om the
appropriate end-point temperature.
4. Record the end-point cooking temperature on the cooked food temperature log.

Responsibilities of a Food Service Manager

1. Review logs daily to ensure that temperatures and corrective actions are being met
and to take corrective action ae necessary.
2. Follow up as necessary and file logs with HACCP records.

Figure 6.8 Food

Safety in Cooking
and Cooking
Temperature Zone

Holding
 Once a food is heated or cooked, the food must be maintained at a holding
temperature to limit the growth of bacteria. The correct hot holding temperature is 60°C.

Once food has been reheated, the potential for the growth of pathogenic bacteria
is greater than the potential in raw foods. The spoilage organisms that may be present in
raw foods inhibit the growth of pathogenic organisms by competition. Once a food is
cooked, these spoilage organisms are reducing.

Employees involved in the production or service of food must:

Hold hot food:

1. Prepare food and cook only as much food as is needed, i.e., use batch cooking.
2. Use hot-holding equipment that can keep hot food at 60°C or higher.
3. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in using hot-holding equipment.
4. Keep foods covered to retain heat and to keep contaminants from falling into the
food.
5. Measure internal food temperatures at least every two hours using a probe
thermometer. Record temperature in a food temperature log. If temperature is
below 60°C, reheat the food at 74°C.
6. Discard hot food after hours if they have not been properly held at or above 60°C.
7. Do not mix freshly prepared food with food being held for service.
8. Do not add raw food to cooked food.
9. Stir food.

Hot cold food:

1. Use cold-holding equipment that can keep cold foods below 5°C.
2. Measure internal food temperatures at least every two hours using a probe
thermometer.
3. Protect cold food from contaminants by using covers or food shields.
4. Discard cold PHF after four hours if they have not been properly held below 5°C.
5. Place cold food in pans or on plates first, never directly on ice. The only exceptions
are whole fruits and vegetables that need to be washed after holding.
 6. Ice used on a display should be self-draining. Wash and sanitize drip pans after
each use.

Responsibilities of a Food Service Manager

1. Review logs daily to ensure the temperatures and corrective actions are being met.
2. Follow up as necessary.
3. File temperature logs with HACCP records.

Figure 6.9. Food in a hot older and a hot and cold well

Serving

Once food has been prepared for serving, it will no longer undergo any heat
treatment it is therefore important not to recontamination food by practicing proper serving
methods that would assure the consumers of safe, hygienic food.

Employees involved in the service of food must observe the following procedures:

Cleaning and Sanitation

1. Clean the area on and around the service line using warm, soapy water and clean
cloth. Thoroughly rinse it after cleaning.
2. Sanitize the area in and around the service line, using an approved sanitizer.
3. Wipe down the area before service begins, and as needed throughout the service.
4. Cloths used for cleaning food spills should not be used for anything else.

Service Utensils/Service ware

 1. Store utensils properly with the handle extended above the container, or on a
clean, sanitized food-contact surface.
2. Use serving utensils with long handles to keep hands away from the food item.
3. Clean and sanitize utensils before using them. Use separate utensils for each food
item
4. Handle glassware and dishes properly.
5. Hold flatware and utensils by their handles.

Good Personal Hygiene

1. Wash hands before handling place settings or food.

2. Do not touch cooked or ready-to-eat foods with bare hands. Always use gloves or
utensils.
3. Wash hands after each tasks.

Service

1. Take temperatures of foods at the beginning of each service period.

2. Record temperatures on the service temperature record.
3. Take temperatures of foods when changing their pans to assure that proper
serving temperatures are achieved.

Responsibilities of a Food Service Manager

1. Supervise employees to ensure that proper service techniques are being followed.
2. Review logs daily to ensure temperatures and corrective actions are being met.
3. Follow up as necessary.
4. File logs with HACCP records.

Service Temperatures

Temperatures of all hot and cold foods are taken during service to ensure that foods are
maintained at appropriate temperatures and that food is safe to be served
Employees who will be setting up the service carts and serving food must follow these
procedures:

1. Use a calibrated thermometer to take the temperature of food products at time of

service.
2. Wipe the clean thermometer stem with a new alcohol wipe prior to taking the
temperature of any food item.
3. Take temperatures of all hot and cold PHF as soon as they are put on the service
cart or just before service.
4. Record temperatures on the service temperature log.
5. Check to make sure that all temperatures are within the critical limits:
 Hot foods – above 60°C
 Cold foods – below 5°C

Responsibilities of a Food Service Supervisor

1. Check the logs on a daily basis to ensure that they are completed and that the
temperatures are appropriate.
2. Review the logs to see if there were temperature deviations.
3. Check corrective action taken to determine if it was appropriate.
4. Follow up as necessary.
5. File the logs in the HACCP file located in the main office.

Figure 6.10. Guide to serving food safely

Cooling
 Is a process of removing heat from food quickly enough to prevent microbial
growth. One method is by placing foods in the shallow containers no deeper than two
inches and leaving them uncovered until cold, 5°C or below.

When PHF is cooled for an extended period, the food is subject to the growth of a
variety of pathogenic microorganisms. Bacteria grow ideally between 21° - 49°C. The
longer the time the food is allowed to be held in this range, the greater the risk of microbial
growth. Excessive time for cooling PHF has consistently been identified as one of the
leading contributing factors to foodborne illness.

When cooked food will not be served right away, it must be cooked as quickly as
possible to prevent microbial growth. Temperatures will be taken during the cooling
process to make sure that time and temperature standards are met to ascertain the safety
of food served to the costumers.

There are two acceptable methods of cooling foods outlined below. Employees
involved in the cooling process of foods must observe the following procedures:

One-Stage (Four Hour) Method

1. Cool hot, cooked food from 57°C to 5°C within four hours using an appropriate
procedure.
2. Take the temperatures after four hours to make sure that the appropriate
temperature was reached.
3. Reheat food to above 74°C if it has not cooled to 5°C in four hours.

Two Storage Method (FDA Food Code)

1. Using an appropriate procedure, cool hot, cooked food from 57° to 21°C or lower
within two hours, and then cool down to 5°C or lower within an additional for hours,
for a total cooling time of six hours.
2. Take temperature s at two and six hours’ intervals to make sure that the
appropriate temperatures were reached.
3. Reheat food to above 74°C if food has not cooled to 5°C in four hours.

Factors That Affect How Quickly Foods Cool Down

 1. Size of the food – the thickness of the food or distance to its center plays the
biggest part in how fast a good cool.
2. Density of the food – the denser the food, the slower it will cool. Chili soup will take
longer than chicken noodle soup.
3. Container in which fa food is stored – stainless steel transfers heat from food faster
than plastic. Initially, loosely wrap food items. Shallow pans allow the heat from
food to disperser faster than deep pans.
4. Size of the container.

Good may not move through the temperature danger zone fast enough if it is still hot
when placed in the refrigerator or freezer or kept in a bulk. The food may also raise the
temperature of the surrounding good items, placing them in the temperature danger zone
as well.

There are a few methods can be used alone in combination to cool foods more quickly.

Methods for Cooling Foods

1. Reduce the quantity of the food being cooled. Cut large good items into smaller
pieces or divide large containers of food into smaller containers.
2. Use blast coolers or tumble chillers to cool food before placing it into a refrigerated
storage.
3. User ice water baths. Divide cooked food into shallow pans or smaller pots, then
place them in ice water, and stir food items frequently.
4. Add ice or water as an ingredient.
5. Use a steam-jacketed kettle as a cooler. Run cold water through the jacket to cool
the food in the kettle.
6. Stir food to cool them faster and more evenly. Ice paddles (plastic paddles filled
with water and frozen) and chill sticks can be used to stir foods through the cooling
process.

Responsibilities of a Food Service Manager

1. Review logs daily to ensure temperature and corrective actions are being met.
2. Follow up as necessary.
 3. File temperature logs with HACCP records.

Figure 6.11. Cooling Food Safely

Reheating

Reheating is the thermal process to heat foods that have been previously cooked
and cooled in a food service establishment. Proper reheating can eliminate a major
portion of pathogens as long as the food is heated to 74°C within two hours.

The more a food is processed, the greater the risk are from contamination caused
by personnel, equipment, procedures and other factors. When food aid cooked and
cooled the product goes through the temperature danger zone several times, thereby
increasing the risks for microbial growth.

Employees reheating food should:

1. Remove leftover food from the freezer/refrigerator.

2. Check the food’s temperature using a calibrated thermometer to make sure it is
lower than 5°C.
3. Reheat food in an oven, stove or steamer so that all its parts reach a temperature
reading of 74°C for 15 seconds. The goal is to remove the food from the
temperature danger zone (5°C – 60°C) as quickly as possible.
 4. Serve the food immediately, or place the food in a steam table or in a pre-heated
hot cart, and recheck the temperature to make sure it is still in the temperature
danger zone after two hours.
5. Check the temperature of the food before serving if the food has been held.

Responsibilities of a Food Service Supervisor

1. Check the temperature of randomly selected reheated items to be certain that a

74°C temperature was achieved and that the product is held at 69°C or higher.
2. Review temperature logs to assure proper reheating temperatures are achieved.
3. Follow up as necessary and document corrective actions.
4. File temperature logs with HACCP and records.

Figure 6.12. Reheating of Foods

Transportation of Foods

The popularity of temporary and mobile facilities, such as street fairs, festivals,
caterings, food sampling and mobile arts, have increased rapidly during the past decade.
The public patronizes these events in increasing numbers. In addition to the opportunity
for community involvement, commercial and non-commercial organizations find it
profitable to sell food at temporary facilities.

All foods transported from central kitchens to satellite locations should be handled in
a manner that ensures the quality and safety of food. Protecting the food and food
preparation equipment from contamination is the function of the structure. A temporary
food stand should have:

1. An overhead covering;
2. An enclosed area, except for the serving windows and an entry door; and
3. A source of hot and cold potable running water for hand washing, cleaning and
sanitizing.

Employees involved in the production and/or transportation of food from a central or

regional kitchen to a satellite location must be responsible for both safety and sanitation
of handled food. Steps include:

1. Preheating if the holding equipment

2. Using calibrated thermometers to take temperatures of food
3. Calibrating thermometers weekly or immediately if dropped; and
4. Recoding temperature and time in temperature log.

Responsibilities of Employees at Central or Regional Kitchens

1. Take temperature of food when it leaves the central kitchen. Hot foods should be
at or above 69°C and cold food should be below 5°C.
2. Record temperatures in the temperature log.
3. Take temperature of food when it is returned from a satellite location.
4. Discard cold foods are above 5°C.
5. Discard hot foods that are not above 60°C.
6. Chill hot foods that are above 60°C.
7. Record temperature in the temperature log.
8. Record the product name, date, temperature and time.
 9. Place chilled food in freezer.

Figure 6.13 Events in Transportation of Foods (Street fairs, festivals, catering, food
sampling and mobile arts)

Key Points

1. The flow of food describes what happens to food from the time it enters the
workplace until it is served to the consumers. It refers to a process receiving,
 storing, preparing, cooking, holding, serving, cooling and reheating that the food
goes through in a food service facility.
2. Each step in the flow of food is a general food safety procedure that should be
follows to help reduce the risk of contamination and mishandling which could
consequently lead to foodborne illness outbreaks.
3. Purchasing - Effective purchasing paves the easy for a successful food service
operation. Purchasing is a highly skill-based activity that requires a wide-ranging
knowledge of products and market conditions.
4. Receiving - Strict procedures should be followed when foods are received. All
foods should be checked for proper conditions once they are received by the
facility. When a delivery is made, it should be checked for both quality and quantity.
Temperature and time are the two most important factors to control.
5. Storing - All food, chemicals and supplies should be stored in a manner that
ensures quality and maximizes the safety of the food served to the costumers.
6. Thawing - Thawing is the process of ice, snow, or another frozen substance
becoming liquid or soft as a result of warming up.
7. Preparing - The preparation and service of foods can involve one or more steps.
Regardless of how many steps may be involved in food production and service,
foodborne illness prevention requires effective food safety measures to ensure
good personal hygiene and avoid cross-contamination and temperature abuse.
8. Food thermometers should be uses frequently to maintain food temperature
control. They can measure internal temperatures ranging from -18°C to 104°C.
Food temperatures should be checked with a thermometer regularly.
9. Cooking - All foods will be cooked using appropriate practices and procedures to
ensure safety. This includes properly cooking foods with the required internal
temperatures, and taking and recording temperatures.
10. Holding - Once a food is heated or cooked, the food must be maintained at a
holding temperature to limit the growth of bacteria. The correct hot holding
temperature is 60°C.
11. Serving - Once food has been prepared for serving, it will no longer undergo any
heat treatment it is therefore important not to recontamination food by practicing
proper serving methods that would assure the consumers of safe, hygienic food.
12. Cooling - Is a process of removing heat from food quickly enough to prevent
microbial growth. One method is by placing foods in the shallow containers no
deeper than two inches and leaving them uncovered until cold, 5°C or below.
13. Reheating - Reheating is the thermal process to heat foods that have been
previously cooked and cooled in a food service establishment. Proper reheating
can eliminate a major portion of pathogens as long as the food is heated to 74°C
within two hours.
14. Transportation of Foods - The popularity of temporary and mobile facilities, such
as street fairs, festivals, caterings, food sampling and mobile arts, have increased
rapidly during the past decade. The public patronizes these events in increasing
numbers. In addition to the opportunity for community involvement, commercial and
non-commercial organizations find it profitable to sell food at temporary facilities.
References and Supplementary Material
Books
1. Ang, M., Balanon, H. (2010). Food Safety and Sanitation