UNDERSTANDING TIME AS A CONTROL FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
Much of our business that revolves around food safety is governed by temperatures. The endpoint cooking temperature of ground beef, the hot holding temperature on the line, the temperature of our refrigerators, or what the key temperatures are for cooling – the temperatures that many of us can recite in our sleep. But there are times when temperature control is just simply not possible. I remember several instances in my foodservice life where we didn’t have the luxury of having refrigeration, or where we were catering an outdoor event, and no matter how “windproof” our sternos and chaffing dishes were meant to be, the brisk Iowa wind would blow out the flame. This is where the food code section on time as a public health control comes into play.
Last week, I was helping with the development of a food safety exam, and I was reminded of just how confusing and misunderstood this section of the food code could be – for employees, managers, and seasoned professionals, alike. The code spells out this information in Section 3-501.19.
We all know that hot food must be kept at a temperature greater than 135˚F and cold food less than 41˚F, but at times when you are not able to maintain those temperatures, the code allows you to use time to keep food safe. To use this provision of the code, you do have to have a written procedure that you have prepared in advance, which can be made available to the inspector if they inquire about your procedures.
WE ALL KNOW THAT HOT FOOD MUST BE KEPT AT A TEMPERATURE GREATER THAN 135˚F OR LESS THAN 41˚F, BUT WHEN YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN THOSE TEMPERATURES, THE CODE ALLOWS YOU TO USE TIME AS A MEASURE TO KEEP FOOD SAFE.
The next requirement is to make sure you have held the food properly at the correct temperature before you remove it from temperature control. In the case of hot food, it should be held at a temperature greater than 135˚F and cold food should have been kept at a temperature less than 41˚F.
Then, once it is removed from temperature control (for example, placed on a buffet line), record the time of when it was removed from temperature control and when it must be discarded. Once the four-hour mark has been reached, the food must have been served or discarded. It cannot be reheated to temperature and saved, or served again, it must be discarded.
There is, however, also a provision in the code that allows you to keep food for up to a maximum of six hours. This is only permissible for cold food (that is, food removed from temperature control at 41˚F or less). Again, the food shall be marked with the time at which it was removed from temperature control and the time at which the six-hour point will be met, at which point the food must be either served, cooked and served, or discarded. However, the food at no point shall exceed 70˚F during this six-hour period. Once the food exceeds the 70˚F point, it must be discarded.
Now for the usual disclaimer that I add at any time I discuss the food code. It is vital that you know your local food code and if the time as a public health control is allowed for in your specific jurisdiction and if there are any specific nuances that differs from the Model Food Code, which is what I base all of my blogs off, currently the 2022 code. Each jurisdiction has the ability to adopt any part of the model code or amend it to fit their standards, so when it doubt, call your inspector. Risk Nothing.
A Little Poultry Safety Information
Chicken is the number one species of protein consumed by Americans – we eat about 80 pounds of it per year. Outbreaks of foodborne illness have long been associated with poultry and eggs usually by undercooking it or cross-contamination of other foods by raw poultry. Recent concerns about avian or bird flu put the direct focus on our fowl food with concerns about whether this awful disease can transfer from birds to humans.
The Basic Principles of Food Safety
Every food establishment uses, processes, and sells food in different ways. However, the general issues and key principles of food safety remain the same, whatever the style of the operation. All food safety training programs should contain the “big 3” factors that could cause food to become unsafe. Food must be kept out of harms way from human errors, but if you don’t train food workers what they are, they won’t know why these factors are so important to your operation. The basics can make us or break us in one or maybe two food handling mistakes.
Be Aware When You Prepare – Food Prep Tips
The subject of food preparation covers some very broad, basic principles within food safety, with many steps associated with “risk” in some recipes. Certainly, preparation steps are where the most mistakes have occurred if a foodborne illness should occur. Outbreaks usually happen when more than one mistake occurs during prep, but sometimes it only takes one. Cooking is the biggest risk for raw foods, but all foods become ready-to-eat foods at some point in final preparation steps and that’s where the most care is required.
Food Gloves & Latex Allergy Education
Politicians joke about the endless stretch of rubber chicken dinners they may consume in an election year. For people with a latex allergy, such a prospect may be no laughing matter. While latex serves as an effective barrier glove material and has the best fit because of its elasticity, the risks associated should not be ignored. The solution is not simple and many options are available for operators today. It should always be mentioned that handwashing (before putting on gloves) is always the primary barrier to contamination and gloves are considered a good secondary barrier.
