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One of the biggest factors affecting the cooling of food is the food·s thickness or

density. As a result, before foods can be cooled, its size should be reduced. Cooling

foods can be done safely and quickly, once the correct methods and practices are

followed. These include:

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#!: in this method, the food is placed in a clean prep sink

or large pot filled with ice water. The food should be stirred frequently, which will allow

the food to be cooled faster and more evenly.




: in this method, a plastic paddle is available that can

be filled with ice or with water and then frozen. The food can then be stirred with this

paddle to help with the cooling process. Foods that are placed in an ice-water bath

and then stirred with the ice paddle will be cooled even quicker. Foods like soups and

chilis and other such thick water based foods would do well using this method.

"
! !: with this method food is cooled from the

cold air being blasted onto it from the blast chiller. The air is blasted at high speeds to

remove the heat. With the use of tumble chillers, bags of hot food are tumbled in cold

water. This works well with thick foods such as mashed potatoes.


  

: this method of cooling is excellent for water

based foods. During cooking the food should be prepared with less water than the

recipe calls for, with the cold water or ice being added after cooking.

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Many different establishments must at one time or another, prepare food at one

location and then transport it to another. Food is more susceptible to contamination

or time-temperature abuse when the place of consumption is far away from the place

of preparation. As such, equipment used to transport food must be designed to

maintain safe food temperatures, as well as be easy to clean. When transporting food,

the containers used must be insulated and capable of maintaining food at 135 F or

higher or 41 F or lower. The inside of the vehicles must be regularly cleaned, and good

personal hygiene should be used when distributing the food. To prevent time-

temperature abuse, the internal temperature of the food must be checked regularly,

and the food should be labeled with a use-by date and time and reheating and service

instructions must be available for off-site locations. Also, the establishment should

consider providing food safely guidelines to its consumers.

Off-site food services should follow the same safety guidelines as permanent

establishments. The food must be protected from contamination and time temperature

abuse; also, the equipments and facilities used to prepare the food should be clean

and sanitary. Foods should be handled safely.

Catering must also follow the same guidelines as permanent establishments; and food

must be prepared and served safely, and all employees must practice good personal

hygiene. Caterers need to also meet the special challenges that off-site food handling

presents. Safe drinking water must be available for cooking, hand washing and

dishwashing. In the event that running water is not available, caterers need to ensure

that they use insulated containers to hold TCS foods. Cold foods must be served in

containers on ice or in chilled gel-filled containers. Raw and ready to eat foods should

be stored separately, and should leftovers be given to customers, they should be given

instructions as to how the food should be handled. Garbage disposal must always be

placed away from food preparation areas.

Mobile units must have adequate cooking equipments, cold storage and hot-holding

units, dishwashing and hand washing sinks with both hot and cold running water.

Adequate ventilation must be provided, as well as garbage storage and disposal

facilities, and pest control. Mobile units must be clean.

Temporary units typically serve pre-packaged food or those requiring limited

preparation. The units must be constructed with material that will protect food from

weather and wind blown dust. The same safe-handling practices used at permanent

establishments should be applied.

Vending machines foods should be handled with the same care and safety as any

other food. The food should also be protected from contamination and time-

temperature abuse during transport, delivery and service. Foods must be held at

proper temperatures, the shelf life of the products must be checked regularly, the
vending machines should be placed in appropriate locations, and the machines should

be kept clean and be serviced regularly.

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Active managerial control is focused mainly on controlling food borne illnesses caused

by the purchase of food from unsafe vendors, the failure to adequately cook food, the

holding of food at incorrect temperatures, the use of contaminated equipments and of

course those caused by poor personal hygiene. When using this program, the risk

factors should be considered; policies and procedures should be created and regularly

monitored. These policies and procedures need to be verified that they are actually

controlling the risk factors.

HACCP is focused on identifying the various physical, biological and physical hazards

at specific points in the flow of food. To be effective, this system must be based on a

written plan that is specific to the facility·s menu, customers, equipments, processes

and operations. In order for this plan to be effective, you must conduct a hazard

analysis, determine critical control points, establish critical limits, establish

monitoring procedures, identify corrective actions, verify that the system works, and

establish procedures for record keeping and documentation.

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Since freezing food does not kill microorganisms, foods should never be thawed at

room temperature. Foods should be thawed in a refrigerator at a product temperature

of 41 F or lower; however, this method requires that you plan ahead as some foods can

take several days to thaw completely. Another method is to submerge the food under

running potable water at a temperature of 70 F or lower. The water flow should be

strong enough to wash away any loose particles into the overflow drain. The sink

should be cleaned and sanitized after thawing the food. Foods that are going to be

cooked immediately after thawing can be thawed in the microwave; however, this

method is not suitable for large items such as turkeys. The final acceptable method for

thawing food is to do so as part of the cooking process. In so doing one needs to

ensure that the product reaches the required internal temperatures. Foods suitable for

this type of thawing are burgers.

Slacking is the process of gradually thawing frozen food in preparation for deep frying,

which allows for even heating during cooking. Breaded chicken breasts are ideal for

this process. It is important to note, that slacking should be done just before cooking

the product. Foods permitted to slack at room temperature should not exceed 41 F (5

C).