HACCP - Temperature Monitoring is Key to Food Safety HACCP Guidelines To Properly Store, Cook, Prepare, Showcase and Move Food The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a management system that deals with and creates food safety guidelines that must be followed wherever food is displayed, stored, prepared, cooked and/or moved. It recognises that the most important factors for food safety and quality are pH and temperature. Foods that can allow bacteria to proliferate when stored improperly are deemed high-risk and include the following: chicken, meat, seafood, dairy products, eggs, etc. Salad vegetables and foods prepared with any of the ingredients are deemed high-risk as well. Food with temperatures that range from 5 degree Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius allows bacteria the chance to grow at excessive rates. 12 Instances Where You Need To Take Food’s Temperature How to Store Chilled and Frozen Food ? Frozen food should be kept at a temperature of -18 degrees or less in the freezer. This impedes bacteria from being able to grow. When storing foods for a short timeframe, they can be kept in the fridge at 5 degree Celsius or less. Hence if you are on a Mobile Kitchen , You must either have a Fridge Freezer or have a High quality insulated esky ice box with Frozen Dry ice packs to keep the food chilled under 5 Degree C What is the Temperature requirement for chilled Food Delivery ? This relates to any food that’s delivered to your store such as raw, unprocessed or uncooked food. Frozen food should still be hard and below -18C when its being delivered, whilst refrigerated goods should have a temperature degree of 5 degree Celsius or less at the time of delivery. Hence Most food delivery businesses have chilled food separated from the Hot food during delivery. The Chilled and Frozen food must be stored in an Insulated Cooler bag with ice packs to keep the right temperature . How to Thaw the Frozen Food and how to use thawed Food ? Food that has been slightly thawed but still has a temperature of less than 5 degree Celsius , it should be placed in the refrigerator to stay around a temperature of 5 degree Celsius or less. When food exceeds temperatures of 5 degree Celsius within four hours, it must be used immediately. High-risk foods that are more than 5 degree
Celsius must be thrown out. Food should be thawed in the refrigerator, not the countertops, If you are on a Mobile Unit, The Foods can be thawed in an Ice chest with sufficient Reusable Dry ice packs. A microwave can be used to heat food up but only if it will be used immediately. What are the guidelines for Food Preparation ? Precautions are needed when foods must be removed from the freezer before being cooked. They should not be in the freezer for over four hours and, once prepared, should not be placed in the freezer. It must be put in the refrigerator , However if you are on a Mobile unit and don’t have access to a Fridge Freezer , You must have a insulated ice chest with cold packs that are frozen. What are the guidelines for Cooking Food ? In order to kill bacteria that can lead to food poisoning, food needs to reach a temperature of 75 degree Celsius . Food with solid parts (chicken and certain meats) must be cooked thoroughly to 75 degree Celsius . Be sure to get the food’s temperature to determine if it’s fully cooked. How and when can I Re-Cool Food ? Food that exceeds 5 degree Celsius but for no more than two hours can be placed in the refrigerator or an esky with ice wraps to keep 5 degree Celsius and the food can be used like regular cooked food. How to Store pre--prepared Hot, Cooked Foods ? Cooked foods can remain out until it’s cooled enough to be stored in the refrigerator. However, the food must have of 20.5 degrees C within two hours. Foods with temperatures of 60 degrees need at least two hours to hit the 20.5 degree C temperature. Once done, it can be stored in the refrigerator or an Ice Cooler, where it must get to 5 degree Celsius or less in a four-hour time period. How to Serving Hot and Chilled Food ? Hot foods must be served at a temperature of 60 degree C or higher to stop bacteria from growing. Cold foods should be served at 5 degree Celsius or less while frozen foods should be served at 5 degrees or less. Hence it’s a good idea to store the chilled food in bowls that sit in ice or frozen dry ice wraps on the bottom of the tray continuously cooling the bowl.
How and when to Reheat Food ? Food must be reheated to a temperature of 75 degree Celsius or more. Although it has a waiting temperature of 60 degrees, bacteria may still linger and began to grow after the initial cooking. There could also have been some cross-contamination of stored or showcased food. How to Showcase Cold Food for sale ? Prepared or high-risk foods must be kept at 5 degree Celsius or less. This means you may require a Refrigerated cabinet or you will need to have a set of frozen dry ice packs around your chilled food to ensure they are constantly cooling your food and maintaining them below 5 Degree C. How to Showcase Hot Food for sale ? Some foods have already been cooked and are offered for sale. They must have a temperature of 60 degrees or higher in order to stop bacteria from growing while on display. The food’s temperature must be taken through the food, not just the surface of it. Guidelines For pH Levels Preserved and Pickled Foods Pickling is the most common way to ensure food safety for long-term stored foods. It can be done two ways – through natural fermentation using a salt solution or adding in vinegar. Both methods ensure the food becomes even more acidotic. When the food’s pH level is under 4.6, a majority of the pathogenic bacteria become inactive. Food with a low pH level can be stored a high temperature for a short time. Prepared rice in sushi products is safe when the added vinegar brings it to a pH level of 4.6 or less. It must also have a temperature of 25 degrees for about four hours. Make sure to review the local food safety rules to determine what the acceptable times and temperatures are. pH test papers like Macherey Nagel Duotest 3.5 – 6.8 are an easy way in which to test for pH in surface testing somewhat solid foods. It’s a good idea to attain a food quality pH meter to get an accurate pH level reading. A pH probe has been created to withstand contamination from food. Special Note: The above article is to be used as a guide only. It’s important for food handlers to stay on top of the current rules and regulations regarding food safety. Or, they can seek out professional assistance for their particular circumstance.