The Flow of Food: Service
Servsafe chapter 7
Hold TCS Food At The Correct Internal Temp
- Hold hot food at 135 F or higher.
- This will prevent pathogens such as Bacillus from growing to unsafe levels
- Hold cold food at 41 F or lower
- This will prevent pathogens such as Staphylococcus from growing to unsafe levels
How Often Should You Check Temps
- Check food temperature at least every 4 hours
- You can also check food temps every 2 hours
- This will leave time for corrective actions
Holding Food Without Temp Control Cold & Hot
Hot food needs to be sold, served or thrown out within 4 hours IF:
- The food was held at 135 degrees before removing from temp control
- the food is labeled with the time it should be thrown out
Cold food needs to be sold, served, or thrown out within 6 hours IF:
- The food was held was held above 41 degrees
- the food is labeled with the time it should be thrown out
Staff Guidelines For Serving Food
- Staff must hold plates from under
- Hands must be washed
- Staff must be properly trained
Re-serving Food
- Keep the hot foods hot (165 F)
- Keep cold foods cold (41 F)
- Follow the two hour rule
You can keep hot foods hot by keeping them in: Chafing dishes, Slow cookers & Warming trays
You can keep cold foods cold by keeping them in: Refrigerators, Coolers