When working to prevent foodborne illness, it’s important to recognize that some food items are more likely than others to become unsafe to eat. Those items are known as TCS foods or Time/Temperature Control for Safety foods. A TCS food requires time and temperature controls to limit the growth of illness causing bacteria. What foods are considered TCS?
Time and TemperatureTime and temperature are two of the most important factors to control in the prevention of a food borne illness. There are many steps during the process of preparing and serving food in which time and temperature must be controlled. Harmful microorganisms grow well in foods held between temperatures of 41 degrees Fahrenheit and 135 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range is also known as the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ). The less time foods spend in the TDZ, the less time harmful microorganisms have to grow. Typically harmful microorganisms can grow to levels high enough to cause illness within four hours; therefore specific regulations in the California Retail Food Code related to the prevention of a food borne illness focus on reducing the amount of time foods remain in the TDZ. The following sections outline the requirements of time and temperature control during the preparation and service of PHF. Types of Potentially Hazardous FoodsMany types of foods can become unsafe and cause people to become ill. Some foods, known as PHFs, are at higher risk for growing harmful microorganisms; it is these microorganisms that cause a food borne illness. The following foods are considered PHF and require proper control of time and temperature:
Ensuring Proper Control of Time and TemperatureSponsors should be aware of good policies and procedures that can ensure the proper control of time and temperature of PHF. The following represents three ways you can control time and temperature:
Cooking Potentially Hazardous FoodsIn order to ensure that the foods you are cooking have reached the proper internal temperature required to reduce the potential for a food borne illness, two steps must occur. First, use a thermometer to take food temperatures; and second, cook foods to the required internal temperature for the specified length of time (see chart below):
Foods that are not immediately served after cooking, which are most commonly known as “held for service,” are at risk for time and temperature abuse. Whether or not you have sources of heat or refrigeration to keep foods within temperature range, it is important to monitor temperatures to prevent a food borne illness. The following outlines the proper procedures for holding PHF: When a source of heat is available, hold hot foods at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and check the temperature every four hours. If the temperature of the food at four hours is less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit, the food must be discarded. It is permissible to hold hot food without temperature controls for up to four hours if the following conditions are met:
Hold cold foods at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less and check the temperature every four hours. If the temperature of the food at four hours is greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit, the food must be discarded. It is permissible to hold cold food without temperature controls for up to four hours if the following conditions are met:
If you have any questions regarding this MB, please contact Barbara Hedges, Child Nutrition Consultant, at 916-327-6071 or 800-952-5609, or by e-mail at [Note: the preceding information is no longer valid] the SFSP office at 800-952-5609, or by email at . Questions: Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609 Last Reviewed: Wednesday, August 31, 2022 |