Best Cooling Methods For Food

When cooling or reheating food, it's important to do it correct to go along information technology prophylactic from harmful microorganisms and toxins that can cause nutrient poisoning.

What are the requirements?

Under Standard three.two.2 - Nutrient Prophylactic Practices and Full general Requirements, food businesses must brand sure potentially hazardous food (like egg or meat dishes) is cooled or reheated quickly so harmful microorganisms don't become a risk to grow to unsafe levels.

Reheating

If you are reheating potentially hazardous food to hot concord, you must oestrus it quickly to sixty°C or hotter — ideally in ii hours or less.

Cooling

When cooling cooked potentially chancy food, information technology must be cooled to 21°C in two hours or less, and then cooled further from 21°C to 5°C in iv hours or less.

You lot can utilize a dissimilar cooling procedure but you must be able to show that it keeps the nutrient safe.

Tips for cooling nutrient chop-chop

divide food into smaller portions in shallow containers to cool, being conscientious non to contaminate the food equally you do this
apply rapid-cooling equipment (eastward.g. a blast chiller)
stir liquid foods such as gravy oft, using a clean and sanitised utensil
use water or water ice water baths
allow air to period freely effectually the cooling container (e.one thousand. on a rack rather than the flooring)
add ice as an ingredient
cheque temperature with a probe thermometer.

Tips for heating nutrient rapidly

use a microwave, oven or stove elevation to quickly reheat it to at least lx°C
don't rut nutrient using bain maries, pie warmers or other equipment designed simply to hold food hot - this is likely to accept too long or not heat the nutrient plenty to go on it safe
rut food to 60°C or hotter earlier transferring to hot-holding equipment
avoid reheating potentially hazardous food more than in one case, so information technology doesn't go through multiple warming periods
check temperature with a probe thermometer.

Demand more information?

Safe Food Commonwealth of australia is a guide to the nutrient prophylactic standards in Chapter 3 of the Food Standards Code. Cooling and reheating is covered under Standard 3.ii.two clause vii.

Copies of the guide are available at on our website or by emailing information@foodstandards.gov.au.