Chapter 3: Flow of Food

Path food takes from purchasing and receiving, through storing, preparing, cooking, holding, cooling, reheating and serving.

 

Chap.3 -- Part 1.  Purchasing and Receiving Food

   

1.  Approved Sources:

Buy only from suppliers who get their products from approved sources.

An approved source is one that has been inspected and is incompliance with applicable local, state, and federal law.

• Food must come from sources that have permits to operate in the State of Texas

so, as an example, food can come from a permitted outdoor produce stand.

• Food may not be prepared in a private home.

 

2.  Choosing a supplier: 

When choosing a supplier for your restaurant make sure you choose a supplier that will deliver products at your convenience, during slow periods of operation. 

Put deliveries of PHF in refrigeration immediately.

 

3.  Check the temperature of Potentially Hazardous Food (PHF) when delivered.

For Monitoring Time and Temperature the thermometer may be the single most important tool to protect food. 

 

Calibration is the process of ensuring that a thermometer gives accurate reading by adjusting it to a known standard, such as the freezing point or boiling point of water. Calibrate the thermometer regularly to make sure it is accurate.

 

How to calibrate metal stem thermometers by using the Ice-point or boiling-point methods>

 

Ice-point method for calibrating a thermometer:  32ºF.

1.       Fill a large container with crushed ice. 

            Add clean tap water until the container is full. Note: Stir the mixture well.

2.       Put the thermometer stem or probe into the ice water so the sensing area is completely submerged.  Wait thirty seconds, or until the indicator stops moving.

            Note: Do not let the stem or probe touch the container’s bottom or sides. The thermometer stem or             probe must remain in the ice water.

3.       Hold the calibration nut securely with a wrench or other tool and rotate the head of the thermometer until it reads 32ºF.

Note: on some thermocouples or thermometers, it may be possible to press a reset button to adjust the readout.

 

Boiling point method for calibration a thermometer:  212ºF.

Is performed by placing the stem of the thermometer into a container of boiling water.  Adjust the calibration nut until it reads 212ºF.

 

Recommendations:   Facilities should keep one thermometer calibrated to 32°F for taking cold temperatures and one thermometer calibrated to 212°F for taking hot temperatures as either calibration method is frequently not accurate at the opposite temperature extreme.

 

 

Several types of Thermometers

 

Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometer:

1. Should have a minimum range measuring from 0ºF to 220ºF.

2. Use a bimetallic stemmed thermometer accurate to +/- 2 degrees Fº.

3. Thermometers should have easy to read numbers.

4. No mercury, no glass, and no liquid crystal thermometers.

 

Proper Use of a Metal Stemmed Thermometer  

1. Wash, rinse, sanitize and air-dry the thermometer and its case before and after each use, or use alcohol swabs and air dry.

2. Take temperatures at the center of the thickest part of the food product.

3. Allow 15 seconds after the indicator stops moving.

 

Thermocouples and Thermistors measure temperatures through a metal probe or sensing area and display results on a digital readout.

Basic types of probes include:

·         Surface probes measure temperatures of flat cooking equipment i.e. griddle.

·         Immersion probes measure temperature of liquids i.e. frying oil, soups,

·         Penetration probes measure the internal temperature of food.

·         Air probes measure temperatures inside refrigerators or ovens.

 

Receiving Food

At what temperature should food be received?

41º F	Beef, Pork, Etc.)
	Poultry
	Fish
	Sprouts i.e. alfalfa sprouts
	Sliced fruit (watermelon, etc.)
45º F	Milk (including Grade A Milk)
	Shell Eggs (clean and not cracked)
	Shellfish  (shrimp, lobster, etc.)
	Crustacean (oysters, clams, etc.)

 

Inspecting the food upon receipt 

What to look for and do when the food product arrives?

 

1. Proper Temperatures: Calibrate your thermometer, sanitize your thermometer, and record the thermometer reading of each item received.  Reject the food if the temperature is not correct.

 

2. Limit the time that the food spends in the Temperature Danger Zone. (41ºF-135ºF).

   Check the temperature upon delivery and store it properly as soon as possible.

 

3. Reject damaged cans: Signs to look for: sharp pointed dents on seams, swelled top or bottom, leakage, rust, missing labels. Home-prepared foods are NOT allowed.

Water damaged cans:  Water damaged cans may be kept for use if they are not rusted and labels are not missing.

 

4. Out of Date:  Do not accept food after its use-by date.

If stored food has passed its expiration date, it should be discarded.

 

5. Frozen products with large ice crystals on the outside should be rejected. When frozen food thaws, water drops form on the outside of the package.  When this food freezes again, the drops of water also freeze and form ice crystals on the outside of the package.  So you should refuse delivery of frozen packages with ice crystals on the outside.

Also frozen products received with water stains on the bottom of the boxes indicate the

frozen foods may have thawed.

 

Food Products labeled "Frozen" must be received frozen.

 

6. Meat: The most important step when receive a delivery of meat is to check the temperature of the meat. 

            Beef should NOT have a slimy surface. Fresh beef should be bright red.  Vacuum-packed beef will appear purplish in color.

            Pork should be light pink with firm white fat.

 

7. Reject fish that is not fresh:  Fish should not smell like ammonia.  Skin should not be soft and should not leave an imprint when touched.

Fish should have bright, clear eyes and firm, shiny skin. 

 

8. Performing routine inspections of food shipments and supplies will help control the presence of rodents and others pests.

 

9. Damaged product:  Check for signs of damage, contamination or spoilage. Reject dry goods with evidence of insects, holes, tears, punctures.

For example dry rice or pinto beans have small insects.

 

10. Reduced-oxygen packaged products: since some bacteria do not need oxygen to live and grow, reduced-oxygen packaged products, like meat require refrigeration to slow or stop the growth of bacteria. So reduced-oxygen packaged meat or fish must be received and stored at 41ºF or lower.

 

11. Rules for Receipt of Shellfish and Crustacean

1. Must be alive when received with shells that are closed.

The shells are normally closed.  If they are not closed, tap them and they should close. 

If they don't close, they are dead and must be discarded, so do not accept delivery.

2. They must be received and stored at 45º F or cooler.

3. To check the temperature of live molluscan shellfish, insert the probe in the middle of the

carton or case, between the shellfish, for an ambient reading.  For shucked shellfish insert

probe into the container until the probe’s sensing area is immersed.

4. Shell stock is received with identification tags explaining where they came from

and when they were harvested.

Shellstock tags should list the following:

·         The original shipper’s certification number - who

·         The dealer’s name and address - who

·         Date of harvest - when

·         Harvest location - where

·         Type and quantity of shellfish – what, but not how.

5. Shellstock identification tags must be kept on file for at least 90 days from the date of harvest.  Sanitarians may ask to see the identification tags during an inspection

 

ONLY BUY FROM APPROVED SOURCES and inspect products when they are received.

 

 

Chap.3 -- Part 2.   Storing Food and Supplies

Proper storage practices for general, dry, refrigerated/frozen, hot storage or hot holding.

 

FIFO Stock Rotation  FIFO stands for “first in, first out” and means the items you received first should be used first.  This ensures that older supplies are used before newer ones.

NOTE: If stored food has passed its expiration date, you should discard the food.

 

Dry Storage

 

1.  Store food at least 6 inches off the floor to facilitate cleaning. This applies to all types of storage, i.e., dry storage, refrigerated storage, or in a freezer. 

    Floor mounted equipment should also be at least 6 inches off the floor

    to make cleaning easier.

 

2. Food and ingredients should be stored in packages, covered containers to prevent what food safety hazard?  Cross contamination.

 

3.   Storage cabinets must be located so that food, napkins, and clean tableware are protected from potential sources of contamination.  (TFER §229.164.i (1)).  These items must be stored:

    •  in a clean, dry location;

    •  where it is not exposed to dust, dirt, or something splashing on it, etc., and

    •  at least 6 inches above the floor.  

Prohibited Areas: Food may not be stored in:

locker rooms, toilet rooms, dressing rooms, garbage rooms or under other sources of contamination,

4.  When food is not stored in its original container, the container that it is stored in must be identified with the common name of the food if the food is not readily identifiable.

5.  The humidity in the dry storage area should be 70% or lower.

6.  Pesticides should be stored in a secured cabinet separate from food.

 

Label food - Discard, use-by date.  Date Marking:

·         All potentially hazardous, ready to-eat-food prepared on site that has been held for longer than 24 hours must be properly labeled.

·         The label must include the name of the food and the date by which it should be sold, consumed or discarded.

Remember the label should include the product name and use-by date.

·         How long can ready-to-eat PHF be held?    41º F for 7 days     

All potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food that has been prepared in-house can be stored for a maximum of seven calendar days at 41º F or lower before it must be thrown out.

Date of preparation is day one.   

Discard food that has passed the manufacturer’s expiration date.    

 

Example.   If on September 26, a properly covered and labeled pan of fried chicken is

seen in the cooler.  And the food is dated September 16.  What would you do?

 

•  Exception:   Hard cheese, semi hard cheese, or deli meats that have a casing do not need a discard date.

 Refrigerated Storage Units

 

1. Cold-holding Equipment:  Refrigerators and other cold-holding equipment must be able to keep food at 41º F or lower.

2. Sensor of a thermometer shall be located in the warmest part of the refrigerator.

3. Containers for storing (and cooking) foods.  When storing foods, are stainless-steel pans a better choice than cast iron, copper or galvanized pans?

4. SAFE HANDLING OF PHF: Only remove from the refrigerator as much food as you need for immediate use.  For instance, don’t remove a dozen eggs if you are only going to use six.

5. Do not overload refrigerators this could prevent good airflow and make the unit work harder to stay cold.  Use open shelving.

6. Never place hot food in refrigerators.

7. Wrap food properly or store in packages, or cover to prevent cross-contamination.

 

 

Where should I place Potentially Hazardous Foods in the refrigerated storage unit?

 

1.       Store raw meat, poultry, and fish separately to prevent contamination.

Specifically which type of contamination?  Chemical, physical or biological contamination?.

 

• There are different microorganisms in each of these types of food.  Cooking food (i.e. food types beef, pork, fish, and chicken) to a specific temperature ensures that the microorganisms are killed in that food. 

For instance: if you cook the following to the cooking temperature listed microorganisms will be killed.

 

Type of food	Cooking temperature
Fish / Beef / Pork	145ºF
Ground beef	155ºF.
Stuffed Meat	165ºF.
Chicken	165ºF.

 

 

• There is a possibility that juice from one food item might drip into an item below while it is being stored in refrigerator.

• Store ready-to-eat and cooked food above all other food. 

• To help prevent foodborne illness, always store food that will be cooked to a hotter temperature below food that will be cooked to a cooler temperature.

   

Ready-to-eat food	Cooking Temp.	Top Shelf
-- Cake (covered)	none
-- Sprouts (covered)	none
-- Salad (covered)	none
-- Egg Salad (covered)	none
Raw Fish	145ºF.
Raw Beef	145ºF.
Raw Pork	145ºF.
Raw Comminuted Beef	155ºF.
Raw Stuffed Pork Chops	165ºF.
Raw Chicken	165ºF.	Bottom Shelf

 

 

Helpful hint: Raw chicken is always stored on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

2.  Store cooked and ready-to-eat foods separately from unwashed produce and uncooked foods to prevent biological cross-contamination.

Q: What happens when an uncooked turkey hotdog touches a ready-to-eat food like a cooked burger?

Ans: Bacteria from the hotdog may be transferred onto the burger and since the burger will not be cooked any more, the bacteria will not be killed.  This type of biological contamination has caused foodborne illnesses that have killed people.

 

3.  Wrap all foods properly, or store in packages, or cover to prevent cross-contamination.

Q:  How can an uncovered container of salad stored on the top shelf of the refrigerated storage unit experience cross-contamination?  

Ans: Water can condense on the inside of the refrigerated storage unit and drip into the uncovered food on the top shelf.

  

Frozen Storage

•  Place frozen food deliveries in freezer as soon as they have been inspected. Never hold frozen food at room temperate.

•  Food Items labeled “keep frozen” must be kept frozen.      (TFER §229.164n1)

•  Remember:  Whether storing food in the freezer, the cooler, or in dry storage, it should be stored 6 inches off the floor to facilitate cleaning.

    

Hot Storage or Hot Holding

• Hot holding equipment must maintain PHF at or above a minimum temperature of 135º F.

   So the minimum temperature for food held on a self-service buffet is _______.

• Keep PHF out of danger zone.    What is the danger zone?  (41º to 135º F.)

• When checking the temperature of food in hot storage, check at the coolest part of the food.

• The temperature sensing device built into the hot storage unit must be located in the coolest part of the unit.  Where should it be located in a refrigeration unit?

 

 

Chap. 3 -- Part 3.   Preparing Food

REMEMBER -- The most common way food becomes contaminated is unsanitary food handling during preparation.  Never touch any type of food with bare unwashed hands.

  

Prepping

 

1. Clean vs. Sanitary

• To clean - means to remove grease and visible soil & food particles.

• Sanitary - means reducing microorganisms by 99.999% on cleaned food‑contact surfaces

 

2. Preparing raw fruit and vegetables

1. Start with clean, sanitized workspace.

2. Wash and rinse vegetables under running water.

Produce may have contaminants from soil, pesticides and fecal matter so wash and rinse vegetables thoroughly i.e. cantaloupe and green onions before preparation.

3. Keep produce away from raw meat, poultry and eggs.

4. Keep produce away from cooked, ready-to-eat food.

 

3. Eggs as an ingredient  (TFER §229.164.f.4)

Use pasteurized egg products for food that will not be cooked such as:

• Caesar salad dressing

• Ice Cream

• What other types of foods do you think would require pasteurized egg products?

 

Acceptable Methods for Thawing PHF      

1. Under refrigeration at 41ºF or lower.

 

2. Submerged in running potable water at a temperature of 70ºF or lower.

Water flow must be strong enough to wash loose food particles into the overflow drain.

 

3. In microwave oven, if the food will be cooked immediately after thawing.

 

4. As part of the cooking process. For example frozen vegetables, beef patties.

 

NEVER THAW POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD AT ROOM TEMPERATURE !

 

 

Protection of Food During Cooking

 

 

Safe Temperatures and Times for Cooked Food

Cook each food to at least its minimum safe internal temperature

 

165º for 15 sec.
1. Minimum cooking temperature for stuffed fish, stuffed meat, and stuffed pasta.

•  Minimum for chicken and other poultry.  By cooking chicken to 165º for 15 sec. will eliminate Salmonella Typhi.

   If you bake a chicken and then remove it from the oven to check the temperature and the temperature is 155º F, what should you do next?  Put it back in the oven, continue cooking until reaching an internal temperature of 165º F.

2. Reheating temperature for PHF (TCS food) - Minimum 165º in less than 2 hours. 

 

3. Microwave – follow these steps to properly cook PHF (TCS food) in a microwave:

1. Cover food,

2. rotate or stir halfway through cooking,

3. heat to internal temperature of 165º F,

4. allow to stand covered for 2 minutes after cooking.

 

155º for 15 sec.  
•  Minimum        for eggs not served immediately;            
•  Minimum        chopped fish.

•  Minimum        ground meat and ground beef patties. By cooking ground meat to 155º 

                         for 15 sec.  eliminates Shiga toxin producing E. coli (one of the Big 5).

  

145º for 15 sec.
•  Minimum        for eggs cooked immediately;     
•  Minimum        for beef steak, pork chops, fish, game animals raised commercially  

  .  .              

135º  Minimum hot holding for PHF  

•  Minimum cooking for fruits & vegetables not held

Proper Cooling for Cooked/Prepared Food

Proper Cooling is the first violation listed on the inspection report and is five-point critical violation.  The first five violations are all Food Temperature/Time Requirements.

 

Several factors affect how quickly food will cool: 

 

1.  The thickness or density of the food being cooled. .

Before cooling food, reduce the size of the food by dividing large containers of food into smaller containers and cut large food items into smaller pieces.

For example, a large beef roast will take longer to cool then vegetable broth since the roast is denser.  So first cut the roast in to smaller pieces.

 

2.  The container in which the food is stored.

Stainless steel transfers heat from food faster than plastic.

Shallow pans allow the heat from food to disperse faster than deep pans.

 

Safe methods for cooling food  

 

1. Ice paddle

Plastic paddles are available that can be filled with ice or with water and then frozen. 

Food stirred with these paddles will cool quickly.  

2. Ice-water baths

After dividing food into smaller containers, place them into a sink or large pot filled

with ice water. Stir the food frequently to cool it faster and more evenly.

 

3. Blast chiller or tumble chiller

Blast chillers blast cold air across food at high speeds to remove heat.  They are useful for chilling large food items such as roasts.  Tumble chillers tumble bags of hot food in cold water.

 

Remember to cool hot foods use these proper cooling methods

1.       Reduce size of food product.

      Cut large items into smaller pieces or divide large quantities into several smaller ones.

2.       Use shallow pans.

3.       Place smaller amounts in pre-chilled stainless steel pans.

4.       Ice-water bath and stir frequently.

5.       Ice wands.

6.       Use calibrated thermometer and test the product regularly during cooling. 

7.       Use loose covers; tight or sealed covers will increase cooling time.

8.       Protect foods from cross-contamination during cooling by placing them above raw foods

      and other sources of contamination.

9.       Blast chiller, quick-chill unit.

 

Monitor Time & Temp During Cooling Food
How long do we have to cool down PHF?
135º to 70º less than 2 Hrs, and then   70º to 41º less than 4 hours                                 Total of  6 hours
Food that is being cooled and  will be reheated later before serving must be cooled from 135º to 70º in less than 2 hours and then from 70º to 41º in less than 4 hours.  That means the food must be cooled from 135º to 41º in 6 hours or less.