What are the mandatory requirements for cooling and storing potentially hazardous foods?
You need to assess the risks associated with potentially hazardous foods used in your business and implement appropriate, effective strategies to minimise those risks. These controls need to be demonstrated with appropriate documentation and evidence. Following cooking, cooked foods can become contaminated with pathogenic bacteria if they are not handled correctly. Clause 7(3) of Standard 3.2.2 of the Food Standards Code states that: “A food business must, when cooling cooked potentially hazardous food, cool the food: • within two hours – from 60°C to 21°C; and • within a further four hours – from 21°C to 5°C, unless the food business demonstrates that the cooling process used will not adversely affect the microbiological safety of the food.” That means the total cooling time from 60°C to 5°C is 6 hours. The cooling time must include the time allowed for post cook processing eg puree step. Businesses should use a probe thermometer or data logger to measure the core temperature and moni
