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ServSafe™ Exam Prep & Study Guide
AtTheInstitute.com
5. The Flow of Food: An Introduction
AtTheInstitute.com
The Flow of Food
The path food takes through your operation. This may include:
• Purchasing• Receiving• Storing• Thawing• Preparation• Cooking• Holding• Cooling• Reheating• Serving
Section Goals
• Be able to list the strategies for preventing cross contamination.
• Be able to list the strategies that aid in preventing time and temperature abuse.
• List the types of thermometers (and probe attachments) available to aid in preventing time and temperature abuse.
• List the steps for thermometer calibration and general thermometer care.
Definitions
• Flow of Food – The path food takes through your operation from purchasing all the way through to service.
• Thermocouple / Thermistor – An electronic (digital) thermometer. Thermocouples are generally faster and more accurate than bimetallic stemmed thermometers, though more costly.
• Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometer – An common, inexpensive foodservice thermometer.
• Calibrate – (Thermometer) To adjust a thermometer to make it more accurate.
• Monitor – In food service operations – To measure time & temperature to ensure safety.
Cross-Contamination
• Pathogens can move around easily in your operation. They can spread from unwashed hands or food to equipment, utensils, prep areas and foods.
• Cross-contamination can happen at almost any point in the flow of food.
• The most basic way to prevent cross-contamination is to keep raw and ready-to-eat foods away from each other.
How to Keep Raw & Ready-To-Eat Foods Away From Each Other
Use Separate Equipment• Use one set of equipment for one type of
food. For instance: yellow “poultry-only” cutting boards, red “meat-only” cutting boards. Blue boards for seafood and green for produce. This gives employees a simple color coded system to follow to keep foods separate.
How to Keep Raw & Ready-To-Eat Foods Away From Each Other
Clean & Sanitize• Clean and sanitize all work surfaces,
equipment and utensils between tasks. Use correct (properly mixed) sanitizers and make sure to: Wash …then Rinse …then Sanitize.
How to Keep Raw & Ready-To-Eat Foods Away From Each Other
Prep Foods At Different Times• If you need to use the same equipment,
utensils and area to prep different types of food that might cross-contaminate, prep them at different times. For instance you might prepare salad greens at a table, (then wash, rinse, and sanitize) and then cut (or fabricate) raw poultry afterwards.
How to Keep Raw & Ready-To-Eat Foods Away From Each Other
Buying Prepared (Convenience) Foods• Buy food items that require little or no
preparation. Pre-fabricated (pre-cut) and cryovac-packaged steaks or washed and chopped scallions are examples.
Time-Temperature Abuse
• Many foodborne illnesses happen because food has been time & temperature abused. That is, when it’s been allowed to remain at temperatures of 41° - 135° F. This is called “The Temperature Danger Zone” because pathogens grow in this range. But they grow even faster at temperatures of 70° - 125° F. You may wish to think of this as a “super-danger” zone.
• Food is being Time & Temperature Abused when:• Cooked to the wrong (too low) temperature• Held at the wrong temperature• Cooled or reheated incorrectly
Avoiding Time & Temperature Abuse
Monitoring• Learn which food items should have their
temperature checked, how often and by whom. Then assign duties to foodhandlers in each area.
Avoiding Time & Temperature Abuse
Tools• Ensure that employees have the right
thermometers available and the training to use them effectively. Use times in prep areas to check how long food is in The Temperature Danger Zone.
Avoiding Time & Temperature Abuse
Recording• Have foodhandlers record temperatures as a
normal part of their duties. Make sure temperatures are being written down at the time they are taken.
Avoiding Time & Temperature Abuse
Time & Temperature Control Procedures• Have procedures that limit the time food
spends in The Temperature Danger Zone. This might include a policy for removing only a small amount of a product from refrigeration at one time or standardized recipes with built-in control procedures.
Avoiding Time & Temperature Abuse
Corrective Actions• Make sure foodhandlers know what to do
when temperature standards are not met. For instance, when soup, being held on a steam table falls below 135°F. after two hours, it needs to be reheated to the correct temperature.
Monitoring Time & Temperature
To keep food safe you must limit the time it spends in The Temperature Danger Zone. The two most important tools used for this are clocks/timers and thermometers. There are three common types of thermometers we use in foodservice:
• Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometers• Thermocouples• ThermistorsNOTE: For our purposes Thermocouples and Thermistors are
interchangeable so that in fact we will choose either Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometers OR Thermocouples/Thermistors.
Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometers
Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometers can check temperatures from 0° - 220° F. When buying this type of thermometer for your operation, follow these guidelines:
• Make sure there is a Calibration Nut or Method of Calibration to ensure accuracy
• It should have Easy to Read Markings• Make sure there is a dimple on the stem that
marks the end of the sensing area.• The thermometer must be guaranteed accurate to
within ±2 degrees F.
Thermocouples & Thermistors
Thermocouples & thermistors check temperatures electronically using various attachment probes and display the temperature digitally. They are useful for thin or thick foods because the sensing area is only at the tip of the probe.
Thermocouple Probes
Immersion Probes• Use these to check the
temperature of liquids like soups, sauces and fryer oil..
Thermocouple Probes
Surface Probes• Use these to check the
temperature of cooking equipment such as griddle tops.
Thermocouple Probes
Penetration Probes• Use these to check the
internal temperature of foods. This type of probe is especially useful for thin foods like fish fillets and burgers.
Thermocouple Probes
Air Probes• Use these to check the
temperature inside coolers and ovens.
Infrared (Laser) Thermometers
Infrared Thermometers measure the surface temperature of items. Because there is no contact between the thermometer and the food or item, this type of thermometer minimizes cross-contamination risks. Follow these guidelines:
• Hold the thermometer close to the food or item being measured
• Remove any barriers between the food/item and the thermometer such as packaging
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
Time-Temperature Indicators (TTI)
Time-Temperature Indicator (TTI) tags are sometimes placed inside delivery vehicles and on food packaging. A color change on the tag can tell you if the food has been time & temperature abused.
Calibrating Thermometers
Thermometers can lose their accuracy when bumped or dropped or when they go through extreme temperature changes. When this happens, thermometers need to be calibrated (adjusted) so that they remain accurate.
• Thermometers may be calibrated by either of these methods:
• Ice-Point Method (32° F.) • Boiling-Point Method (212° F.)
Ice-Point Method for Calibrating Thermometers
• Fill a large container with crushed ice. Add cold tap water until the container is full.
Stir the mixture well.
• Put the thermometer stem (sensing area) into the ice-water. Wait at least 30 seconds or until the indicator/readout stops moving.
Do not let the probe touch the sides of the container.
• Adjust the thermometer so that it reads 32° F.This is done by turning a calibration nut or following the
manufacturer’s instructions for calibration.
Boiling-Point Method for Calibrating Thermometers
• Bring tap water to a boil in a deep pot/pan. • Put the thermometer stem (sensing area) into the
boiling water. Wait at least 30 seconds or until the indicator/readout stops moving.
Do not let the probe touch the sides of the pot/pan.
• Adjust the thermometer so that it reads 212° F.This is done by turning a calibration nut or following the
manufacturer’s instructions for calibration.
NOTE: Boiling-point temperature may vary depending upon your elevation relative to sea-level. Adjust accordingly.
Additional Thermometer Guidelines
Employees must be properly trained on how to use and care for the types of thermometers they will be using. This includes:
• Cleaning & Sanitizing – Thermometers must be washed, rinsed, sanitized, and air-dried to be safe for food contact.
• Calibration – Thermometers should be calibrated at the start of each shift, prior to the day’s first delivery, when dropped or bumped, or when they go through extreme temperature changes.
• Accuracy – Some thermometers cannot be calibrated. (Oven & Cooler thermometers) These thermometers should be checked by comparing temperatures to a calibrated thermocouple and replaced if needed.
• Glass Thermometers – Never use glass thermometers to check food temperatures..• Checking Temperatures – When checking temperatures insert the probe into the
thickest part of the food. (Also take another reading in a different spot as these temperatures may differ.) It can take 15 – 30 seconds to get an accurate reading depending upon the type and quality of thermometer used.
ServSafe Essentials
ISBN: 0135026520http://nraef.org
http://www.servsafe.com
