Keeping cold food at or below 5 degrees C during storage or display so bacteria cannot grow.
Keeping cold food at or below 5 degrees C during storage or display so bacteria cannot grow. Cold holding is keeping cold potentially hazardous food at or below 5 degrees C while it is stored or displayed. Holding food at or below 5 degrees C keeps it out of the temperature danger zone, so any bacteria present grow very slowly if at all. It is the standard way to safely store and display chilled foods such as dairy, cut fruit and salads, sandwiches, and cooked meats that will be served cold. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code requires potentially hazardous food that is stored or displayed cold to be kept at or below 5 degrees C. As with hot holding, the equipment is only part of the picture. Fridges and cold display units need to be set and maintained so that the food itself, not just the air, stays at or below 5 degrees C, and temperatures need to be checked because overloading, warm ambient conditions and faults can push food into the danger zone. Australian businesses use fridges, cool rooms and refrigerated display cabinets for cold holding, and staff check the food temperature with a probe thermometer rather than relying only on the appliance display. Cold display units are not overfilled above the load line, food is kept covered where practical, and doors are kept closed to hold temperature. Chilled deliveries are moved into cold storage quickly to keep the cold chain intact. If cold food is found above 5 degrees C, the business takes a corrective action, such as returning it to proper refrigeration if it has only just risen, or applying the 2-hour / 4-hour rule to ready-to-eat food that has been warm for longer. Cold holding temperatures are commonly recorded during the day as a monitoring step in the food safety program. A deli displays cold meats and salads in a refrigerated cabinet. Staff probe a product at the start and during service and record temperatures at or below 5 degrees C. When a tray near the front reads 8 degrees C, they check the load line, move the tray to the cool room to bring it back below 5 degrees C, and record the corrective action.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature is required for cold holding?
Cold potentially hazardous food that is stored or displayed should be kept at or below 5 degrees C.
Is the fridge dial reading good enough?
Not on its own. Check the temperature of the food itself with a probe thermometer, since the food can be warmer than the air, especially near doors or above the load line.
Why should I not overfill a cold display?
Overfilling above the load line blocks airflow and lets food, especially near the top or front, warm into the danger zone.
What if cold food is found above 5 degrees C?
Take corrective action. If it only just rose, return it to proper refrigeration. If ready-to-eat food has been warm longer, apply the 2-hour / 4-hour rule.
Does cold holding apply to frozen food?
Frozen food should be kept frozen hard. Cold holding at or below 5 degrees C applies to chilled, not frozen, potentially hazardous food.
