Food Health Guidlines

Info provided by the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services: 469-2015

Food Times and Temperatures:
How do you know what the temperature is? Buy a chef's thermometer at a restaurant supply house, a good market, or a hardware store. Two methods may be used to calibrate it and make sure it's reading the correct temperatures. With either method, you look at the temperature and adjust the small nut on the back of the dial until it's correct. Ice Point Method of Calibration: In a bowl, make a mixture of 1/2 crushed ice and 1/2 water. When tested in this mixture, the dial should read 32ºF. Boiling Point Method: Boil a small pot of water. When immersed in the boiling water, the dial should read 212ºF.

TDZ (Temperature Danger Zone): 41ºF-140ºF
Most advantageous temperature for bacterial growth: 98.6ºF
Most ideal growth range: 70ºF-120ºF (basically room temperature)

Temperatures For Safe Product:
... timed for a minimum of 15 seconds.
... cooked so that all parts reach the required temperature.

For Single Service (Cooked To Order):
Eggs -- 145ºF, (155ºF for bulk service)
Fish -- 145ºF
Meat -- 145ºF
Pork -- 155ºF
Ratites -- 155ºF (Ratites are Emu and Ostrich)
Poultry -- 165ºF
Injected meats -- 155ºF
Ground meats -- 155ºF (165º to be absolutely safe)
Wild or Exotic Game -- 165ºF
Stuffing, or Stuffed Meats -- 165ºF
Reheating Leftovers -- 165ºF

Note: If heating with a microwave, add 25º and allow to sit two minutes before serving.

Cooling Down Cooked Food:
Six hours to cool from 140ºF to 41ºF, but in the first two hours you must get it from 140ºF to 70ºF, in the second four hours from 70ºF to 41ºF. Four hours total time to be absolutely safe.