PROTECTING FOOD DURING SERVICE

Concepts

Hot holding equipment – equipment such as chafing dishes, steam tables and heated cabinets
specifically designed to hold food at 140°F (60°C) or higher.

Cold holding Equipment – equipment specifically designed to keep cold food at 41 °F (5°C) or lower.

Sneeze Guard – Food shield placed in a direct line between food on display and the mouth/nose of a
person of average height, usually placed fourteen to forty eight inches above the food.

Offsite service – service of food to someplace other than where it is prepared or cooked, including
catering and vending.

Vending machine – machine that dispenses hot and cold food, beverages and snacks.

Single used items – Disposable table ware or package food designed to be used only once, including
flatware, paper or plastic cups, plates and bowls, as well as single serve food and beverages.

General Rules for Holding Food

 Any conflict between food quality and food safety must always be decided in favor of food
safety.
 When holding food for service keep hot food hot and cold food cold.
 Prepare and cook only as much food as you will use or serve in a short period of time.

Holding Hot Food- Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

 Only use hot holding equipment that can keep food at internal temperature of 140°F (60°C) or
higher
 Stir food at regular intervals to distribute heat evenly.
 Keep food covered.
Covers retain heat and keep out contaminants.
 Check internal food temperatures at least every two hours using thermometers.
Record temperatures in a log
 Discard potentially hazardous food after four hours if it has not been held at or 140°F (60°C).

Don’ts

 Never use hot-holding equipment to reheat food if it is not designed to do so. Most equipment
is incapable of passing food through the temperature danger zone quickly enough. Reheat
potentially hazardous food to 165°F (74°C) for fifteen seconds within two hours, then transfer it
to holding equipment.
 Never mix freshly prepared food with food being held for service. Mixing food may lead to
cross-contamination.
Holding Cold Food

Do’s

 Only use cold holding equipment that can keep food at 41°F (5°C) or lower
 Check internal food temperatures at least every two hours. If above 41°F (5°C), take corrective
action. Record temperature in a log.
 Protect food from contaminants with covers or sneeze guards.

Don’ts

 Do not store food directly on ice. Whole fruit and vegetables, raw, cut vegetables, and
molluscan shellfish are the only exceptions. Place food in pans or on plates first. Ice used on a
display should be self-draining. Clean and sanitized drip pans after each use.

Serving Food Safely

Serving Food Safely for Kitchen Staff and Servers

Do’s

 Store serving utensils properly. Serving utensils can be stored in the food, with the handle
extended above the containers rim. They can also be placed on a clean, sanitized food contact
surface. Spoons or scoops used to serve food such as ice cream or mashed potatoes can be
stored under running water.
 Use serving utensils with long handles. A long-handled utensil will keep the server’s hand away
from food.
 Use clean and sanitized utensils for serving. Use separate utensils for each food items, and
properly clean and sanitize them after each serving task. Clean and sanitize them at least once
every four hours during continuous use.
 Practice good personal hygiene. Minimize bare hand contact with cooked and ready to eat food.
Serve food with tongs or gloves.
 Handle glassware and dishes properly. Food can become contaminated simply by handling the
food contact area of glassware, dishes, and utensils. The food contact area of plates, bowls,
glasses, or cups should not be touched. Hold dishes by the bottom or the edge. Hold cups by
their handles and glassware by the middle, bottom, or stem.
 Hold flatware and utensils by the handles. Store flatware so servers grasp handles, not food-
contact surfaces.
 Serve milk from refrigerated bulk dispensers or in single serve cartons. Serve cream and half
and half in single serve containers or in covered pitchers.
 Use plastic or metal scoops or tongs to get ice.
 Never use cloths meant for cleaning food spills for any other purpose. When cleaning tables
between seating, wipe up spills with a disposable, dry cloth. Then clean the table with a moist
cloth that has been stored in a fresh detergent solution.
Don’ts

 Never stack glassware or dishes when serving. The rim or surface of one item can be
contaminated by the item above it.
 If possible, do not assign employees to more than one job during a shift. If employees must
perform more than one job during a shift, make sure they wash their hands before handling
food or place settings.

Re-serving Food Safely

Servers and kitchen staff should also know the rules about re-serving food that has been
previously served to a customer.

 In general, only unopened, prepackage food, such as condiment packets, wrapped crackers, or
wrapped breadsticks, can be re-served. No food items should be re-served to people at risk,
such as nursing home residents or hospital patients.
 Never re-serve plate garnishes, such as fruit or pickles, to another customers. Served but
unused garnishes must be discarded.
 Never re-served uncovered condiments. Don’t combine leftovers with fresh food. For example,
opened portion of salsa, mayonnaise, mustard, or butter should be thrown away.
 Do not re-serve uneaten bread or rolls to other customers.
 Linens used to line bread baskets must be changed after each customer.

Self-service areas

Buffets and food bars can be contaminated easily. They should be monitored closely by
employees trained in food safety procedures. Assign a staff member to hand out fresh plates for return
visits. Post signs with polite tips about food bar etiquette. Here are more rules for food bars:

 Protect food on display with sneeze guards or food shields. These must be between fourteen
and forty-eight inches above the food, in a direct line between the food and the mouth or nose
of a customer of average height.
 Identify all food items. Label containers on the food bars. Write the names on ladle handles.
 Keep hot food hot - 140°F (60°C) or higher and cold food cold - 41°F (5°C) or lower. Check food
temperatures at least every two hours and record them in a log.
 Replenish food on timely basis. Prepare and replenish small amount at a time so food is fresher
and has less chance of being exposed to contamination. Never mix fresh food with food being
replaced to prevent cross contamination. Practice the FIFO method of product rotation.
 Keep raw meat, fish and poultry separate from cooked and ready to eat food. Customer can
easily spill food when serving themselves. Use separate displays or food bars for raw and
cooked food so there’s less chance of cross-contamination.
 Do not let customers used soiled plates or silverware for refills. Customer can use glassware for
refills as long as beverage-dispensing equipment doesn’t come in contact with the rim or
interior of the glass.
Off-site Service

Many establishments such as schools, hospitals. Caterers, and even restaurants prepare food at one
location and then deliver it to remote locations. The greater the time and distance from the point of
preparation, the point of consumption, the greater the risk the food will be exposed to contamination or
time-temperature abuse.

 Use rigid, insulated food containers capable of maintaining food temperatures at 140°F (60°C) or
higher or at 41°F (5°C) or lower. Containers should be sectioned so food doesn’t mix, leak or
spill. They must also allow for air circulation to keep temperatures even. Keep containers clean
and sanitized.
 Clean and sanitize the inside of delivery vehicles regularly.
 Practice good personal hygiene when distributing food.
 Check internal food temperatures regularly. Take corrective action if food isn’t at the proper
temperature. If containers or delivery vehicles aren’t maintaining proper food temperatures at
the end of each route, reevaluate the length of delivery routes or the efficiency of the
equipment being used.
 Label food with storage, shelf life and reheating instruction for employees at off-site locations.
 Provide food safety guidelines for consumers.

Catering

Caterers provide food for private parties and events, as well as public and corporate functions.
They might bring prepared food, or cook food on site in a mobile unit, a temporary unit, or in the
customer’s own kitchen.

 Make sure there is safe drinking water for cooking, warewashing, and handwashing as well as
adequate power for holding and cooking equipment.
 Use insulated containers for all potentially hazardous food. Raw meat should be wrapped and
stored on ice. Deliver milk and dairy products in a refrigerated vehicle or on ice.
 Serve cold food in containers on ice or in chilled, gel filled containers. If that isn’t possible,
record the time when the potentially hazardous food was first taken out of cold storage and
discard it after four hours.
 Keep raw and ready to eat products separate. For example, store raw chicken separately from
ready to eat salads.
 Use single use items. Make sure customers get a new set of disposable tableware for refills.
Place garbage disposal containers away from food preparation and serving areas.
 If left overs are given to customers, provide instructions on how they should be handled. This
may include reheating and storage instructions for the product and shelf-life dates.

Vending Machines

Food prepared and packaged for vending machine should be handled with the same care as any
other food served to a customer. Vending operators also should protect food from contamination and
time temperature abuse during transport, delivery and service.
  Keep potentially hazardous food at the right temperature - 41°F (5°C) or lower and 140°F (60°C)
or higher.
 Machine must have automatic shutoff controls that prevent food from being dispensed if the
temperature stays in the danger zone for a specified amount of time.
 Check product shelf life daily. Replace food with expired code dates. Refrigerated foot not used
within seven days of preparation must be discarded.
 Dispense potentially hazardous food in its original container. Fresh fruit with edible peels
should be washed and wrapped before being put in a machine.

Eight Rules of Safe Food Handling

All employees should know the Eight Rules of Safe Food Handling and be responsible for safe
food practices in their assigned areas.

1. Practice strict personal hygiene.

2. Monitor time and temperature
3. Prevent cross contamination
4. Clean and sanitize food contact surfaces, equipment and utensils before and after every use,
and at least once every four hours during continuous use.
5. Cook food to its required minimum internal temperature or higher.
6. Hold potentially hazardous, hot food at 140°F (60°C) or higher and cold food at 41°F (5°) or
lower.
7. Cool cooked food from 140°F (60°C) to 70°F (21°C) within two hours, and then from 70°F (21°C)
to 41°F (5°C) or lower in an additional four hours, for a total cooling time of six hours.
8. Reheat potentially hazardous food for hot-holding to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for
fifteen seconds within two hours.