Reheat food safely under the FSANZ Food Standards Code: hit 60°C within two hours (aim for 75°C), reheat once, and use the right methods. Australian guide.
To reheat potentially hazardous food safely, heat it rapidly to 60°C or hotter — generally within two hours — using a stove, oven or microwave, not a bain-marie or pie warmer. Many operators push the core past 75°C to build in a safety margin. Reheat food only once, check it with a probe thermometer, then serve it, hot-hold it at 60°C or above, or discard it. Key takeaways: Reheat potentially hazardous food rapidly to 60°C or hotter, generally within two hours, so it spends minimal time in the 5°C-60°C temperature danger zone.. 60°C is the minimum for reheating-to-hot-hold under the Food Standards Code; many operators target a ~75°C core temperature to build in a safety margin against pathogens.. Reheat using a stove, oven or microwave — not a bain-marie, pie warmer or heat lamp, which are designed to hold hot food, not heat it.. Reheat food only once. Repeated cooling and reheating multiplies the risk, so portion leftovers before reheating so you only warm what you need.. Verify the temperature with a clean, calibrated probe thermometer rather than relying on how hot the food looks or feels.. The temperature that matters: 60°C, and why many aim for 75°C Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Standard 3.2.2), potentially hazardous food that is reheated to be held hot must be heated rapidly to 60°C or hotter. This is around the temperature at which the growth of most food-poisoning bacteria stops, so it is the benchmark for hot-holding, display and service. This reheating rule applies when you intend to hold the food hot — if you reheat food and serve it straight to a customer, the hot-holding rule does not apply, though heating it thoroughly is still good practice. So where does 75°C come from? It is not a Food Standards Code reheating figure — it is a widely used best-practice target. Heating the coldest part of the food (the core) to around 75°C gives you a comfortable margin above 60°C, helps destroy bacteria that may have multiplied during storage, and accounts for probe placement and thermometer error. Aiming for 75°C means that even if your reading is slightly off, you are almost certainly above the 60°C minimum. For high-risk foods like poultry, minced meats and rice dishes, targeting a higher core temperature is sensible. Requirements and enforcement can vary, so confirm the specifics with your state or territory food regulator and local council. 60°C or hotter: the minimum reheat-to-hot-hold temperature in the Food Standards Code.. ~75°C core: a common best-practice target that builds in a safety margin.. 5°C to 60°C: the temperature danger zone where bacteria multiply fastest — move food through it quickly.. Reheat fast: beat the two-hour danger-zone window Speed is as important as the final temperature. FSANZ guidance is to reheat potentially hazardous food to 60°C or hotter, ideally in two hours or less. The longer food lingers in the 5°C-60°C danger zone, the more time bacteria have to multiply and, in some cases, produce toxins that reheating cannot destroy. Start with food that has been cooled and stored correctly. Under the Food Standards Code, cooked food generally needs to be cooled from 60°C to 21°C within two hours, and from 21°C to 5°C within a further four hours (unless you can show another system is safe). When you reheat, work in small or shallow batches so heat penetrates quickly and evenly, and stir liquids and casseroles part-way through. If food has not reached 60°C after a reasonable time, keep heating — do not put lukewarm food into hot-holding equipment and hope it catches up, because it usually will not. Aim to hit 60°C within two hours of starting to reheat.. Reheat in shallow, portioned batches rather than one large mass.. Stir and rotate food so cold spots reach temperature too.. Never use hot-holding gear to finish an under-heated batch.. Choose the right method (and the wrong ones to avoid) Use equipment designed to heat food quickly: a stovetop, a conventional or combi oven, or a microwave. These raise the core temperature fast enough to clear the danger zone within the target window. The common mistake is using hot-holding equipment to do the reheating. FSANZ specifically warns against using bain-maries, pie warmers and similar equipment to reheat food, because they are designed only to keep already-hot food at 60°C — they are generally too slow and too gentle to safely reheat cold food, which can sit in the danger zone for hours. The correct sequence is: reheat rapidly on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave to at least 60°C (ideally around 75°C core), then transfer the food into the bain-marie or hot cabinet to hold it at 60°C or above for service. Stovetop: fast for sauces, soups and stir-fries; stir constantly.. Oven / combi oven: good for trays and larger cuts; check the thickest point.. Microwave: quick for single portions, but stir and stand to even out hot and cold spots.. Bain-marie / pie warmer / heat lamp: for HOLDING only — never for initial reheating.. Reheat once, then commit FSANZ advises reheating potentially hazardous food only once so it does not go through multiple warming periods. Each cool-reheat cycle sends the food back through the danger zone and gives surviving bacteria another chance to grow, so repeated reheating compounds the risk. The practical fix is portioning. Before you store leftovers, divide them into serving-sized amounts so you only ever reheat what you plan to use. Once food has been reheated, do one of three things with it: serve it immediately, hold it hot at 60°C or above until service, or — if it is not used — discard it. Reheated food that is left over should not be cooled and reheated a second time. When in doubt, throw it out; the cost of wasted food is far lower than the cost of a foodborne illness incident. Portion food before storage so you only reheat single servings.. After reheating: serve, hot-hold at 60°C+, or discard.. Do not cool and reheat the same food a second time.. Label
How to reheat food safely, step by step
Reheat only food that was cooled and refrigerated correctly (cooled through the danger zone quickly and held at 5°C or below). If food was left out too long or smells off, discard it rather than reheat it.
Divide food into shallow, serving-sized amounts so it heats quickly and evenly, and so you reheat only what you need. This is the single easiest way to comply with the reheat-once rule.
Use a stove, oven or microwave to bring the food up fast — aim to reach 60°C within two hours. Stir liquids and rotate trays so cold spots catch up. Do not use a bain-marie or pie warmer to do this.
Insert a clean, calibrated probe thermometer into the thickest part. Confirm it reads at least 60°C; targeting around 75°C gives a safety margin. Check several spots in large batches and keep heating if any spot is short.
Serve the food straight away, transfer it to hot-holding equipment kept at 60°C or above, or discard it if it will not be used. Never let reheated food drift back down through the danger zone for later re-reheating.
Log the reheating temperature if your food safety program or Standard 3.2.2A obligations require it, then sanitise the probe and any equipment before the next task.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to reheat food to 60°C or 75°C in Australia?
The Food Standards Code sets 60°C as the minimum for reheating potentially hazardous food that you intend to hold hot. There is no legal 75°C reheating figure — 75°C is a widely used best-practice target that gives a safety margin above 60°C and helps destroy bacteria. Aiming for a ~75°C core is prudent for high-risk foods, but 60°C is the compliance benchmark. Confirm specifics with your local council.
Can I reheat food more than once?
FSANZ advises reheating potentially hazardous food only once. Each cool-and-reheat cycle passes the food back through the 5°C-60°C danger zone and gives bacteria another chance to grow, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. Portion leftovers before storage so you only ever reheat a single serving, then serve it, hot-hold it at 60°C or above, or discard it.
Why can't I reheat food in a bain-marie or pie warmer?
Bain-maries, pie warmers, heat lamps and holding cabinets are designed to keep already-hot food at 60°C, not to heat cold food. FSANZ warns they generally warm food too slowly, so it sits in the temperature danger zone for hours while bacteria multiply. Reheat rapidly on a stove, in an oven or in a microwave to at least 60°C first, then transfer the food to the bain-marie to hold it.
How fast do I need to reheat food?
FSANZ guidance is to reheat potentially hazardous food to 60°C or hotter, ideally within two hours. The less time food spends in the 5°C-60°C danger zone, the safer it is. Reheat in shallow, portioned batches and stir to speed things up. If food has not reached 60°C in a reasonable time, keep heating it rather than moving it to hot-holding equipment.
How do I check that reheated food is hot enough?
Use a clean, calibrated probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part or centre of the food — the slowest point to heat — and wait for the reading to stabilise. Do not rely on steam, appearance or touch. Check several spots in large batches, sanitise the probe between foods, and calibrate it regularly using an ice-slurry (0°C) or boiling-water (100°C) test.
Is it safe to reheat cooked rice?
Rice needs extra care because Bacillus cereus can survive cooking and produce heat-stable toxins that reheating will not destroy. The key is what happens before reheating: cool cooked rice quickly, refrigerate it at 5°C or below, and use it within a day or two. When you do reheat, heat it rapidly to at least 60°C (ideally hotter), reheat only once, and discard any that is left over.