International Food Safety Council September 1999 * National Food Safety Education MonthSM Food Safety Training for Retail Food Establishments "Cook It Safely - It's a Matter of Degrees" Training Session

SM

Week 4: Hot Holding

In this activity, you will explain how to safely hold hot foods.

• Begin discussion by explaining that one of the top causes of foodborne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is improper holding of potentially hazardous foods.

• Remind employees that it is imperative to keep hot foods above 140 ° F (60 ° C) for the entire time it is hot held. Have employees keep these points in mind for hot holding:

  • Never use hot-holding equipment to reheat foods – reheat to 165 ° F (74 ° C) on a stove, for example, then transfer the food to the hot holding unit.

  • Use only hot-holding equipment that can keep foods at or above 140 ° F (60 ° C). Keep foods covered to retain heat, or use heat lamps.

  • Measure internal temperatures of foods in hot holding every two hours. That way, if the food ever dips below 140 ° F (60 ° C), corrective action can be taken.

  • Never mix freshly prepared food with food already being held for service. Always remove pan of old food and replace with a fresh pan of food.

  • Periodically check to see if your equipment is working correctly by checking the embedded thermometer against a bimetallic stemmed thermometer placed in a food product.

• NOTE: To avoid the risks associated with hot holding, you may want to consider preparing food in small batches to be served in under four hours.

• After the discussion, see if your employees can decode the Mystery Message!

Week 4 Reference: ServSafe® Coursebook

• Capter 8 Holding Foods For Service – begins page 8-2 Copyright© 1999 by The Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association

 
^TM/SM International Food Safety Council
* Distributed August 1999 for use in September 1999 as part of the International Food Safety Council's National Food Safety Education Month.

National Food Safety Education MonthSM is sponsored by the International Food Safety Council, a restaurant and foodservice industry coalition committed to food safety education, formed by the National Restaurant Association's Educational Foundation. For more information about enrolling in the Council free of charge, call 800/456-0111.