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Rapid Chilling of Foods
One of the most common causes of foodborne illness is improper cooling of foods.
Potentially hazardous foods must be rapidly chilled after cooking or hot holding if they are
to be served later. The Food Code states you have no more than 6 hours to take foods from
135°to 41° F. While this may seem like a lot of time, it isn’t. Hot foods take many hours to
cool completely through, and this is even more true for thick meats or sauces. How can you
make sure you are cooling foods quickly enough?
•
Fall
2010
Village of
Arlington Heights
Environmental
Health
Terese Biskner
Jeff Bohner
Sean Freres
33 S. Arlington Heights Rd.
Arlington Heights, Il 60005
(847) 368-5782
Fax (847) 368-5980
Don’t allow foods to sit at room temperature “cooling off”. You can place foods
immediately in the refrigerators. There is no ice in the “ice box” anymore!
Inside this issue:
•
Use your coldest, largest refrigerator with a well-operating fan for the chilling to avoid
raising the temperature of your other foods. You can also use freezers.
Date Marking of Cold 2
Foods
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Divide large batches of food into smaller portions. Slice or de-bone meats before placing Phone Scam
in the refrigerator.
•
Pour batches of sauces and soups into small, shallow containers (1-4”) for refrigerating.
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Always use metal food containers. Plastic containers insulate against the cold.
•
Use a chill wand or ice bath with equal parts water and ice for foods, and stir frequently.
Foods can be placed in water-tight plastic bags for placing in ice baths.
•
Allow plenty of space around foods for cold air circulation. Don’t stack pans on top of
each other.
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Coolers with open wire shelving chill food faster than ones with solid shelves.
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Add ice to soups and sauces as part of the water called for in the ingredients.
•
Keep foods uncovered, or covered with a tent of plastic-wrap or foil over foods. Air can
still circulate over the foods this way.
•
Pre-refrigerate foods to be combined in salads or sauces.
Remember that foods being cooled must be labeled with the date and time of prep so you
can be sure it reached the proper temperature in time. Keep a log of the temperatures and
time it took to cool the food, and keep the log for your records. Always use a probe
thermometer to check the temperature before , during, and after the chill process. Getting
foods through the danger zone as quickly as possible is one more important step to making
food safer for everyone.
2
What’s Wrong With
This Picture?
3
Quiz
4
Did You Know?
The CDC estimates
325,000 people are
hospitalized due to
foodborne illness in
the U.S. every year
Summer 2010 Page 2
Date Marking of Ready-to-Eat, Refrigerated, Potentially Hazardous Foods
Another Reminder
There is still some confusion regarding what needs to be date marked and what doesn’t. As a reminder:
•
All refrigerated, ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods that have been made or opened must be dated. Foods without proper
dates must be discarded immediately. Refrigerated foods must be used or discarded within 7 days of preparation or opening of
a prepared package, or the manufacturer’s expiration date, whichever is first.
•
If several packages of ingredients are used to make a food, that food must be dated with the earliest expiration date of all the
ingredients, or 7 days from the date of preparation, whichever is first.
A refrigerated, ready- to-eat potentially hazardous food is one which does not require any further preparation prior to being served. Such
as, but not limited to:
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Deli salads prepared on-site, i.e. egg, seafood, chicken, tuna, pasta or fruit
•
Deli meats for cold sandwiches
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House made salad dressings and ready-to-eat sauces, or commercial dressings or sauces with a pH above 4.6
•
Soft cheese, i.e. brie, cottage, ricotta, camembert and teleme
•
Sliced melons
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Desserts made with dairy products
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Milk
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Sliced tomatoes
All refrigerated, ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods that have been prepared on-site or opened must be labeled. These foods must be
labeled with either the date they were prepared/opened, or with a discard date of 7 days past the preparation/opening date. The food
service operator must have written procedures on-site detailing which labeling procedure is being used. These foods must be either
served or discarded within 7 days.
Phone Scam Warning
The Illinois Department of Public Health has been contacted on several occasions by local health departments and
individual foodservice operators regarding a person(s) posing as a public health inspector who tries to schedule an
inspection. These individuals identify themselves as “public health officials” working for the health department.
These individuals request to schedule a restaurant inspection and ask detailed personal and business information.
In some cases the foodservice operators are given a unique code number and telephone number and requested to
call the imposters back.
A search on the Internet indicated that this impersonator(s) has targeted other states as well as foodservices in
Canada. Apparently, businesses are targeted to both extort money and also so the scammers can set up fake
identities via websites in order to fraudulently sell goods and services, possibly on Craig’s list. These websites
require a phone call in order to verify an identity before setting up an account.
Please remember the importance of verifying credentials of anyone representing themselves as an inspector. Also,
remember not to give out any personal, private, or secure information to anyone without confirming the person’s
identity.
1– The handsink is blocked by the mop bucket and mop. Always allow access to the handsink so employees are
more likely to wash their hands.
2– The employee is washing his hands in the 3 compartment sink. Handwashing must only be done in the
designated handsink.
3-The employee is wearing a watch. Persons working with food must not wear jewelry, watches, or artificial
fingernails or nail polish to prevent contamination.
See if you can spot the common violations shown in this staged photograph!
What Is Wrong With This Staged Picture?
Page 3 Summer 2010
Food Safety Quiz
1- What is the most frequently cited cause of foodborne illness?
A) improper food cooling B) improper hand washing C) contaminated food source
2– Foods must be cooled from 135° to 41° within ______ hours?
A)4 B) 6 C) 8
3– Refrigerated, ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods must be labeled with a ______ discard
date?
A) 3 day B) 5 day C) 7 day D) 9 day
4– Dairy products are a ready to eat potentially hazardous food?
A)True B) False
5– When labeling ready to eat potentially hazardous, the day of preparation or opening is
counted as day 1?
A) True B) False
1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-A, 5-A
Illinois Sanitation Certification Classes
AFFORDABLE TRAINING COMPANY
(800) 977-4274
MCCLOUD SERVICES
(847) 585-0650
CENTER POINT TRAINING
(815) 556-8441
NUTRITION CARE SYSTEMS
(847) 888-8177
CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO
(312) 553-5600
OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
(847) 635-1700
COLLEGE OF DU PAGE
(630) 942-2800
ORKIN
1-800-ORKIN-NOW
COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY
(847) 223-6601
FOOD SAFETY CONSULTING
(630) 272-3490
CORPORATE TRAINING CENTER
(630) 357-3525
FOOD SAFETY SOLUTIONS
(630) 254-5405
FOODSERVICE SAFE LLC
(847) 254-4027
FOOD PROTECTION SYSTEMS
(847) 244-0432
FOOD SAFETY INSTITUTE
(847) 470-1080
HARPER COLLEGE
(847) 397-3377
ILLINOIS RESTAURANT ASSN.
(312) 787-4000
INTERSPACE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, INC
(630) 365-9910
A State listing of current classes can be found at:
http://dph.illinois.gov/fssmccourses
ONLINE
www.nraef.org/e_learning/elearn_home.asp
www.cityofevanston.org/departments/health/news/food-service.shtml
You must arrange for separate testing
* PLEASE NOTE:
A separate fee of $35.00 is needed to obtain your State of Illinois Certificate
upon successful completion of the final exam. If you do not follow through
and obtain your certificate, you are NOT a certified manager with the State of
Illinois. You must have a certificate to meet minimum state requirements.
If you have any questions about the State Certificate, please call IDPH –
Division of Food, Drugs and Dairies at (217) 758-2439.