Cooking Food
Use a metal stem thermometer to check temperatures while cooking food to make sure that it gets done all the way inside. Be sure to properly wash and sanitize your thermometer between uses; otherwise you risk cross-contamination.
Different foods have to reach different temperatures to be done or safe. The metal stem thermometer measures the inside, or internal temperature of the food. A thermometer that works best shows a range of 0 F to 220 F. The only way you can be sure the food is cooked enough is to use a metal stem thermometer placed in the center of the food.
When is Cooked Food Safe?
When is Cooked Food Safe? Rare Beef: 145 F for 15 seconds Hamburger: 155 F for 15 seconds Pork: 145 F for 15 seconds Beef, Lamb and Seafood: 145 for 15 seconds Poultry and Stuffing: 165 F
You must place the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat or in the center of the food to get a true reading. Do not touch a bone with the stem of the thermometer.
Using a meat thermometer :56
Never cook large roasts, turkeys or stuffed turkeys while they are still frozen. Their big size keeps the insides from cooking to a safe temperature. You must thaw them first so the heat can reach the center of the meat.
Frozen turkey :22
Cooling Food
You always take a chance when you have to cool food down. The best way to have safe food is to make it fresh each day, just before you serve it. If you have food that is left over or made in advance, you must cool it and store it safely.
The first rule to remember about cooling: Cool hot food as fast as you can to below 41 F, past the DZ. Food that is not cooled fast enough is the Number One cause of food poisoning.
Cooling food 4:02
Cooling Solid Foods There are 5 steps to cool solid foods such as roast, turkey, and solid cuts of meat:
Cooling Solid Foods 1.Cut large roasts and turkeys into pieces no larger than 4 pounds. 2.Put all meats and other hot food in the cooler or refrigerator as quickly as you can; do not let the food sit at room temperature. 3.Do not stack pans; leave space for air to move around them. 4.Use a metal stem thermometer to check food temperature (clean and sanitize thermometer stem after each use). 5.Wait until the food has cooled to below 41 F before you cover it.
Cooling Liquid Foods There are 8 steps to cool solid foods such as roast, turkey, and solid cuts of meat:
Cooling Liquid Foods 1.Close the drain in a large sink. Place the metal pot or pan of hot food in the sink. 2.Fill the sink with ice up to the level of food in the pot. 3.Add cold water to the ice. 4.S>r the soup or sauce o@en so that it cools all the way to the center. Ice paddles or cooling wands can be used to speed up the cooling process.
Cooling Liquid Foods 5.Add more ice as the old ice melts. 6.Check the food temperature with a metal stem thermometer. (Clean and sani-ze the thermometer stem a@er each use). 7.Be sure you have cooled the food from 140 F to under 40 F in less than 6 hours. 8.Put the cooled foods in the refrigerator or freezer.
Thawing Frozen Foods There are only 3 safe ways to thaw foods, and you must plan ahead to allow enough time to do it right:
Thawing Frozen Foods 1. Thaw food in the refrigerator; it may take a few hours or a few days. This is the best and safest way. Be sure to put meat in a container to catch the meat juices and to keep them from dripping. Put raw meats on the borom shelf away from ready- to- eat foods. 2. Hold the food under cool, running water (70 F or less), never under warm, hot, or standing water. 3. Defrost in a microwave oven; you must then cook it or serve it right away.
Where did that food come from? Use food that comes from sources that are approved by the Health Department- that's the law. Look for "USDA" on meats. Look for "Pasteurized" on milk. Look for cer>fica>on tags on the packages of shellfish and save for 90 days. Canned foods, fresh foods, eggs and dairy products must come from companies, brokers or dairies that have been licensed and inspected.
Where did that food come from? Check the food as it comes in. It's a good idea to write the date on it before you store it. Look for unsafe adulterated foods. Moldy food, smelly meat, damaged or swollen cans are not safe to use. If you are not sure, get rid of it. Remember the rule: "If in doubt, throw it out." Tell your boss or food manager about any bad food you find.
Where did that food come from? You cannot sell food that has been prepared at someone's home. Food for the public must be prepared in a kitchen approved for that purpose. People trained by the Health Department, Food Inspectors, must check the kitchen to make sure you prepare and store the food in a safe way.
Where did that food come from? Check the food as it comes in. It's a good idea to write the date on it before you store it. Look for unsafe adulterated foods. Moldy food, smelly meat, damaged or swollen cans are not safe to use. If you are not sure, get rid of it. Remember the rule: "If in doubt, throw it out." Tell your boss or food manager about any bad food you find.
Examples of improper storage: - Food not covered and stacked on top of one another. - Cross contamina>on of a raw product (meat) stored next to a ready- to- eat food item, such as leruce. - Food stored in non- food containers.
Example of improper storage: Meat stacked on top of one another is a cross contamina>on issue and is improperly stored.
Take special care when storing food in your dry storage area: Keep all foods six inches off the floor. Rotate the stock by storing foods so you can use older foods first. "First in, first out" is a good rule to follow. Cover, label and date dry foods. Store foods away from cleaners and poisons. Do not store foods in galvanized cans or other containers with metal coa>ngs. (Some foods can "pull off" the metal and that can cause poisoning.) If plas>c bags are used, they must be approved for food use.
Take special care of foods that go into the refrigerator or freezer: Store food in clean, safe containers with labels and dates. Check the temperature: Freezers need to keep food hard to the touch. Put raw meat on the lowest shelf and unwashed food below clean cooked food. Refrigerated foods need to be 41 F (5 C) or colder. In general, foods will keep longer at colder temperatures.
What Can You Add To Food? Chemicals that you add to food as you prepare it are food addi>ves. You cannot add sulfi>ng agents at a store or restaurant. In the State of Texas, there is a law against adding these chemicals at the retail level. You cannot use ingredients for freshening or whitening if they contain sulfi>ng agents. Some people are allergic to sulfites. Employees in food service should learn what menu items already have sulfites in them, so that they can tell their customers who ask. If anyone complains about gegng sick from food addi>ves, you or your supervisor must report it to the Health Department.
Handling of Ready-To-Eat-Foods Before we can review the ways to handle a ready- to- eat food item, we must know exactly what is a ready- to- eat food item. A Ready- To- Eat food item is any food which does not need cooking or has already been cooked. For example, raw ground meat is not ready to eat because it s>ll needs cooking, although a cooked ground meat pary is ready to eat.
Handling of Ready-To-Eat-Foods Not Ready- To- Eat Donut dough Uncooked, raw hamburger meat Uncooked pasta Ready- To- Eat Glazed Doughnut Cooked hamburger pary LeRuce Almost all salad bar items
Date Marking Many food items must be date marked upon opening or storing in refrigera>on for later use. Date marking consists of marking the item with the date by which the item must be consumed or discarded. Items may be date marked by using pre- printed s>ckers, marker and tape, or color coded s>ckers. As long as the employees understand the system and can explain it to the inspector, it will be considered acceptable. Not all foods are required to be date marked. An item must be date marked if it meets the following three condi>ons:
Date Marking The item is a poten>ally hazardous food (usually high in protein and water ac>vity, easily suppor>ng the growth of pathogenic bacteria.) The item is a ready- to- eat food (RTE) an item that has been cooked or does not need cooking before serving to the customer. The item will be held in refrigera>on for more than 24 hours.
Date Marking Examples: Enchiladas made Monday for service later in the week would need to be dated to be consumed or discarded by Sunday. (refrigerated at 41F or below). Spagheg sauce made on Monday and frozen on Wednesday would require date marking to indicate the >me remaining a@er thawing. Freezing stops >me, but does not restart it. The product would have five days to be consumed upon thawing. Commercially prepared potato salad or hot dogs need to be dated upon opening.
Date Marking There are a few excep>ons to the date marking requirement. Hard cheeses and ice cream do not require date marking. Individual por>ons repacked from bulk containers to fill a consumer s request or whole por>ons of cured and processed product with the original casing intact on the uncut por>on, for example, bologna, salami, and sausage, also do not require date marking. If in doubt, it never hurts to date mark!