What is the minimum internal temperature hot food must be held at to prevent pathogens from growing?

Índice Show

Time and temperature
Cold holding - 41 F or less
Cooking temperatures
Microwave cooking to 165 F
Hot holding temperatures at 140 F or above
Cool foods as quick as possible
Reheat foods to 165 F for 15 seconds
Train your staff
Provide thermometers and temperature logs
Cooking and reheating
Hot holding
Clean: Wash Hands, Utensils, and Surfaces Often
Wash your hands the right way:
Wash surfaces and utensils after each use:
Wash fruits and vegetables, but not meat, poultry, or eggs:
Separate: Don’t Cross Contaminate
Use separate cutting boards and plates for produce, meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs:
Keep certain types of food separate:
Cook to the Right Temperature
Food is safely cooked when the internal temperature is high enough to kill germs that can make you sick:
Keep food hot (140˚F or above) after cooking:
Microwave food thoroughly (165˚F or above):
Follow special guidelines for barbeques and smokers:
Chill: Refrigerate and Freeze Food Properly
Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours:

A leading cause of foodborne illness is time and temperature abuse of TCS (food requiring time and temperature control for safety) foods. TCS foods are time and temperature abused any time they’re in the temperature danger zone, 41 to 135 degrees F. This occurs when food is:

Not cooked to the recommended minimum internal temperature.
Not held at the proper temperature.
Not cooled or reheated properly.

Temperature danger zone: 41 to 135 degrees F.

The longer food is in the temperature danger zone, the more time pathogens have to grow. The goal is to reduce the amount of time TCS food spends in the temperature danger zone. If food is held in this range for four or more hours, you must throw it out. It’s better to check temps every two hours and take corrective action when needed.

Time and temperature

Do you get confused over all the specific time and temperature requirements? For a quick and reliable reference, print a copy of Minnesota Department of Health fact sheet, Temperature Requirements for Potentially Hazardous Foods. All the following times and temps are included.

Cold holding - 41 F or less

Cold foods must be maintained at 41 F or less.

Cooking temperatures

The following MUST be cooked to listed internal temperatures and times:

145 F or above for 15 seconds

Eggs for immediate service.
Fish (except as otherwise required).
Meat (except as otherwise required).
Commercially raised game animals (except as otherwise required).

155 F or above for 15 seconds, or 150 F or above for one minute, or
145 F or above for three minutes

Chopped or ground meat.
Chopped or ground fish.
Chopped or ground commercially raised game animals.
Pork.
Injected meats.
Eggs cooked for hot holding.

165 F or above for 15 seconds

Poultry.
Stuffed food products.
Stuffing containing fish, meat, poultry or wild game animals.

Microwave cooking to 165 F

Time and temperature control for safety foods cooked in a microwave must be cooked to 165 F. The product must be covered, and rotated or stirred during the cooking process. After cooking, allow two minutes stand time before serving.

Hot holding temperatures at 140 F or above

Hot food must be maintained at 140 F or above.

Cool foods as quick as possible

Foods must be cooled from 135 to 70 degrees F within 2 hours and from 70 to 41 F within an additional 4 hours. The goal is to cool foods as quickly as possible.

Reheat foods to 165 F for 15 seconds

Food that is reheated must reach a minimum internal temperature of at least 165 F for 15 seconds. Reheating must be done rapidly and the minimum temperature must be reached within two hours. Steam tables, warmers, or similar equipment do not heat food quickly enough and must not be used for reheating food.

Train your staff

Remember it’s your responsibility to provide the training and the tools your staff needs to monitor time and temperature. Your staff needs to learn:

What to do.
How to do it.
Why it’s important.
What corrective action to take, if necessary.

Provide thermometers and temperature logs

Along with training, provide your staff with thermometers and temperature logs for successful monitoring.

If you need help with selecting the right thermometers for your business, Iowa State University Extension has developed an excellent resource, Thermometer Use in Retail Foodservice Establishments. It provides details of commonly used temperature-sensing devices and how to use them to ensure food safety and quality.

ServSafe® Manager Book 7th Edition.

Controlling the temperature of food is extremely important in ensuring that food is safe to eat, and you must ensure that food is always cooked, cooled, chilled or reheated properly to minimise the risk of harmful levels of bacteria in the food that you sell.

Meat products are typically regarded as high risk, but dried goods such as rice and pulses and vegetable and salads are also likely to contain bacteria that may grow if the food is subject to poor temperature control. Perishable food should always be kept out of the danger zone of 8 - 63ºC to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

Cooking and reheating

In raw foods, such as meat, fruit and vegetables, high levels of bacteria may be present due to contamination with soil or due to the preparation process. It is important that food is cooked thoroughly to a core temperature of at least 75ºC for at least two minutes to kill the bacteria.

One way to check whether the food has been cooked thoroughly would be to use a probe thermometer, but you must also take care that probe thermometers do not contaminate or taint the food being probed. You can do this by cleaning and disinfecting them before use with ready to eat food. Where antibacterial wipes are used to do this, they must be suitable for use with food.

It is also recommended that you keep a record of checks that you make. It is good practice to check and record at least two or three high-risk food temperatures per day.

Chilling

Chilling food does not kill bacteria, but it does stop them from growing to harmful levels. Because of this, it is a legal requirement that perishable foods should be kept refrigerated at 8ºC or below. Frozen food should ideally be kept at a temperature at or below -18ºC.

It is good practice to check and record fridge and freezer temperatures at least once per day. If a fridge cannot keep food below 8ºC, it must be serviced or replaced.

Cooling

The legislation states that foods must be cooled as quickly as possible. Methods such as reducing portion size, spreading food on an open tray or using ice can help to cool food quickly before it is refrigerated, and you should aim to cool foods to below 8ºC within 90 minutes.

Hot holding

If food is to be held hot, it must be cooked to at least 75ºC for two minutes and then held at a temperature at or above 63ºC. This is a legal requirement and it is good practice to check whether foods that are being held hot are at or above 63ºC on a regular basis.

The Food Standards Agency website has lots of advice to help you.

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Did you know that an estimated 1 in 6 Americans will get sick from food poisoning this year alone? Food poisoning not only sends 128,000 Americans to the hospital each year—it can also cause long-term health problems. You can help keep your family safe from food poisoning at home by following these four simple steps: clean, separate, cook and, chill.

Clean: Wash Hands, Utensils, and Surfaces Often

Germs that can make you sick can survive in many places around your kitchen, including your food, hands, utensils, cutting boards, and countertops.

Wash your hands the right way:

Use plain soap and water—skip the antibacterial soap—and scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
Rinse hands, then dry with a clean towel.
Wash your hands often, especially during these key times when germs can spread:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- After handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or their juices, or uncooked eggs
- Before eating
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After touching garbage
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After handling pet food or pet treats.

Wash surfaces and utensils after each use:

Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water, especially after they’ve held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.
Wash dish cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

Wash fruits and vegetables, but not meat, poultry, or eggs:

Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water without soap, bleach, or commercial produce washes.
Rinse fruits and vegetables before peeling, removing skin, or cutting away any damaged or bruised areas.
Scrub firm produce like melons or cucumbers with a clean produce brush.
Dry produce with a paper towel or clean cloth towel.
Don’t wash meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood to avoid spreading harmful germs around your kitchen.
Produce labeled as “pre-washed” does not need to be washed again.

Additional Information:

Food Safety Quick Tips: Clean (FDA)

Cleanliness Helps Prevent Foodborne Illness (USDA)

Separate: Don’t Cross Contaminate

Use separate cutting boards and plates for produce, meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs:

Use one cutting board for fresh produce or other foods that won’t be cooked before they’re eaten, and another for raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Replace them when they are worn.
Use separate plates and utensils for cooked and raw foods.
Use hot, soapy water to thoroughly wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that touched raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or flour.

Keep certain types of food separate:

In your shopping cart, separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods and place packages of raw meat, poultry, and seafood in plastic bags if available. When you check out, place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in separate bags from other foods.
At home, place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in containers or sealed, leakproof plastic bags. Freeze them if you’re not planning to use them within a few days.
In the fridge, keep eggs in their original carton and store them in the main compartment—not in the door.

Additional Information:

Food Safety Quick Tips: Separate (FDA)

Cook to the Right Temperature

Food is safely cooked when the internal temperature is high enough to kill germs that can make you sick:

Use a food thermometer to be sure your food is safe. When you think your food is done, place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food, making sure not to touch bone, fat, or gristle.
Refer to our Minimum Cooking Temperatures Chart to be sure your foods have reached a safe temperature.

Keep food hot (140˚F or above) after cooking:

If you’re not serving food right after cooking, keep it out of the temperature danger zone (between 40°F -140°F) where germs grow rapidly by using a heat source like a chafing dish, warming tray, or slow cooker.

Microwave food thoroughly (165˚F or above):

Read package directions for cooking and follow them exactly to make sure food is thoroughly cooked.
If the food label says, “Let stand for x minutes after cooking,” follow the directions — letting microwaved food sit for a few minutes allows food to cook thoroughly as colder areas absorb heat from hotter areas.
Stir food in the middle of heating. Follow package directions for commercially prepared frozen food; some are not designed to be stirred while heating.

Follow special guidelines for barbeques and smokers:

Additional Information:

Food Safety Quick Tips: Cook (FDA)

Grilling and Food Safety (USDA)

Kitchen Thermometers (USDA)

Chill: Refrigerate and Freeze Food Properly

Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours:

Bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply quickest between 40°F and 140°F.
Your refrigerator should be set to 40°F or below and your freezer to 0°F or below. Use an appliance thermometer to be sure.
Never leave perishable foods out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours. If the food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F (like a hot car or summer picnic), refrigerate it within 1 hour.
Leftovers should be placed in shallow containers and refrigerated promptly to allow quick cooling.
Never thaw or marinate foods on the counter. The safest way to thaw or marinate meat, poultry, and seafood is in the refrigerator.
Freezing does not destroy harmful germs, but it does keep food safe until you can cook it.
Know when to throw out food by checking our Safe Storage Times chart. Be sure you throw food out before harmful bacteria grow.