Bringing cooked food down through the danger zone quickly, from 60 degrees C to 21 degrees C within 2 hours and to 5 degrees C within a further 4 hours.
Bringing cooked food down through the danger zone quickly, from 60 degrees C to 21 degrees C within 2 hours and to 5 degrees C within a further 4 hours. Cooling is the process of chilling cooked potentially hazardous food that will not be served straight away, so it can be stored safely. Cooked food that cools slowly spends a long time in the temperature danger zone, where any surviving bacterial spores can grow and some bacteria can produce toxins. Controlled cooling limits that time and is one of the process steps most closely watched in a food safety program. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code sets a two-stage cooling guide for cooked potentially hazardous food. The food should cool from 60 degrees C to 21 degrees C within 2 hours, and then from 21 degrees C to 5 degrees C within a further 4 hours. This gives a total of up to 6 hours, but with tighter limits on the hotter, more dangerous part of the range where bacteria grow fastest. To meet the cooling times, Australian kitchens divide large batches into smaller or shallower portions, use shallow trays, and place food in a cool area or blast chiller rather than leaving a full pot on the bench. Stirring, ice baths and ice paddles all speed up cooling. Hot food should not be put straight into a domestic-style fridge in a large mass, as it can warm the fridge and cool too slowly in the centre. Staff check the core temperature with a probe thermometer at the 2-hour and 6-hour points to confirm the food has passed 21 degrees C and then reached 5 degrees C in time. If food has not cooled quickly enough it may need to be reheated and cooled again, or discarded. Cooling checks are commonly recorded as part of monitoring under the food safety program. A pub cooks a large pot of curry for the next day. Instead of refrigerating the whole pot, staff divide it into shallow trays and place them in the cool room. They probe the curry after 2 hours to confirm it is below 21 degrees C, and again later to confirm it reaches 5 degrees C within the following 4 hours before covering and storing it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the cooling times for cooked food?
Cool from 60 degrees C to 21 degrees C within 2 hours, then from 21 degrees C to 5 degrees C within a further 4 hours.
Why does the first stage of cooling have a tighter limit?
The hotter part of the range lets bacteria grow fastest, so getting food below 21 degrees C quickly is the most important part of safe cooling.
How can I cool food fast enough?
Divide food into smaller or shallower portions, use shallow trays, stir, use ice baths or an ice paddle, or use a blast chiller and a cool area.
Can I put a large hot pot straight in the fridge?
It is not recommended. A large mass can cool too slowly in the centre and warm other food in the fridge. Portion it down first to cool quickly.
What if food does not cool in time?
If it has not passed the checkpoints in time, it may need to be reheated rapidly to 60 degrees C and cooled again correctly, or discarded if that is not possible.
