We explain what managers need to know about safe food temperatures and menu consumer advisory.

In this section

• Cold holding
• Hot holding
• Cooling
• Cooking
• Reheating
• Receiving

Menu

• Consumer advisory

Resources

• Food safety posters
• Food safety videos
• Food safety checklists and logs

Inspectors

• Use thermometers to check cold time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods are always stored in mechanical refrigeration at 41°F or below.

Effective managers

• Routinely use calibrated thermometers to make sure cold food is held at 41°F or below
• Make sure cold TCS foods are held within mechanical refrigeration.

Train staff: 

• How to monitor cold holding temperatures of foods using calibrated thermometers
• What to do if TCS foods are found above 41°F

Make sure staff are:

• Monitoring cold holding temperatures
• Making effective corrective actions when needed

Inspectors

• Use thermometers to check hot TCS foods are held at 135°F or higher.

Effective managers

• Routinely use calibrated thermometers to make sure hot food is held at 135°F or higher.

Train staff: 

• How to monitor hot holding temperatures of foods using calibrated thermometers.
• What to do if TCS foods are found below 135°F.

Make sure staff are:

• Monitoring hot holding temperatures
• Making effective corrective actions when needed

Inspectors

Observe cooling being done at the time of inspection to make sure foods are being cooled:

• From 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, and
• To 41°F within a total of 6 hours

Discuss and evaluate:

• How foods are cooled 
• Equipment used to cool foods 

Effective managers

• Make sure effective methods are used to rapidly cool food
• Have enough equipment to support the cooling methods used

Teach staff:

• How to use effective cooling methods
• How to monitor time and temperature when cooling foods
• Corrective actions if food being cooled does not meet time and temperature parameters

Make sure staff are:

• Monitoring cooling methods
• Making effective corrective actions when needed.

Inspectors

• Take temperatures of foods that are cooking or have just been cooked using a calibrated thermometer
• Check knowledge of staff by asking what temperature they cook food to

Effective managers

• Know required cooking temperatures

Train staff: 

• On required cooking temperatures
• What to do if required cooking temperatures are not met

Make sure staff are:

• Monitoring cooking temperatures
• Making effective corrective actions when needed.

Inspectors

Observe reheating being done at the time of inspection to make sure foods are being reheated.

If food has been:

• Previously cooled, then reheat from 41°F to 165°F within two hours
• Commercially manufactured, then reheat from 41°F to 135°F within two hours

Discuss and evaluate:

• Reheating methods
• Equipment used to reheat foods 

Effective managers

• Make sure reheating methods rapidly reheat food
• Have enough equipment to support reheating methods used

Teach staff how to:

• Use effective reheating methods
• Monitor time and temperature
• Take corrective action for food not being reheated fast enough

Make sure staff are:

• Monitoring reheating temperatures
• Making effective corrective actions when needed

Inspectors

Check to make sure:

• Foods are received at safe temperatures
• Foods come from an approved source
• Food packaging is intact 

Effective managers

Make sure: 

• Food is received at appropriate temperatures
• Food is received from an approved source
• Food is received with the packaging intact

Teach staff how to:

• Properly check-in food deliveries
• Verify food is coming from an approved source 

Coach and correct when staff accept:

• Unapproved food
• Food in unsafe conditions

A consumer advisory is required on if you serve raw or undercooked animal foods. A consumer advisory has two parts: 

• A consumer health statement
• Menu disclosure

Some examples of foods that require a consumer advisory are:

• Burger or egg cooked to the customers preferred temperature
• Cocktail with unpasteurized egg whites
• Steak or fish served undercooked

Inspectors

• Make sure menus have both a consumer health statement and disclosure

Effective managers

• Create a consumer health statement for in-store and online menus
• Identify and provide a disclosure for each menu item with raw or undercooked animal foods