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 5: Reheating & Thawing (including microwave reheating)

Part 1: Reheating foods

In this activity, you will explain how to safely reheat foods. There are two special activities for your employees with this session.

• Begin the discussion by explaining the recommended reheating procedures from the FDA Model Food Code.

  • If a potentially hazardous food is to be reheated with the intention of hot holding until service, the food must be reheated rapidly (within 2 hours) to a temperature of 165 o F (74 o C) for at least 15 seconds.

    • This temperature is effective in reducing the number of Clostridium perfringens, a pathogen that, if present, is able to grow rapidly if the food is temperature abused.

  • If the food is reheated in a microwave, it must be stirred or rotated, covered and allowed to stand for two minutes.

  • Ready-to-eat foods that were prepared in a food processing facility and are still in their original packaging can be reheated to 140 ° F (60 ° C) before being hot held.

    • The reason for this is that food prepared in a food establishment may have an increased risk of contamination and temperature abuse through the cooking, cooling and reheating processes, whereas food prepared in a processing facility does not have the same level of risk due to increased controls for time and temperature.

  • If the food is to be served to a customer immediately after reheating, the food may be reheated to any desired temperature – provided the food was cooked and cooled properly originally. For example, a plate of pasta with marinara sauce may be reheated in a microwave until steaming, then served.

    • While this may contradict what was said above, the reason there is no temperature requirement is because the food will be served and consumed immediately (or, at least, within 4 hours) and not subjected to potential temperature abuse during hot holding.

Part 2: Thawing foods

In this activity, you will review the four correct methods for safely thawing foods.

• Begin discussion by explaining to employees that there are only four acceptable ways to thaw frozen foods:

  • In the refrigerator: This is the safest method for all foods, particularly large foods like turkeys or roasts. Foods are removed from frozen storage and placed in the refrigeration unit at a temperature of 41°F (5°C) or less.

  • Under cold running water: The food can be submerged under running potable water at a temperature of 70°F (21°C) or less. (The water should be running fast enough to wash away any loose food particles.)

• Remind employees to clean and sanitize the sink before and after using this method.

  • In the microwave: Food may be thawed in the microwave only if it will be cooked immediately afterward. Microwave thawing can actually start cooking the product, so do not use this method unless the food will be cooked immediately. This method cannot be used for thawing large items.

  • As part of the cooking process: Food may be thawed as part of any cooking procedure as long as the product reaches the required minimum internal cooking temperature. Hamburgers can go directly from the freezer to the grill without being thawed first.

• Remind employees that they should never thaw foods on a counter. Only the above methods will prevent foods from becoming unsafe.

• This week’s activity is a special “Mad Lib”-type game. Follow the directions carefully - - and have fun!! If you have time, there is an additional “Word Find” game.

Week 5 Reference: ServSafe® Coursebook

• Chapter 7
  Reheating Potentially Hazardous Food – page 7-20
  Thawing Foods Properly – begins page 7-6 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.