What this section covers: The 41°F to 135°F danger zone; cold and hot holding, Minimum cooking temperatures, Cooling, reheating and thawing, Thermometers and date marking.
6 free practice questions
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Question 1At what temperature must hot time/temperature control for safety food be held?
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Answer: A — 135°F or above.
Hot TCS food must be held at 135°F (57°C) or above. Food that was cooked and cooled is reheated to 165°F before hot holding, but it can then be held at 135°F or higher.
Checked against: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.16 Hot and Cold Holding
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Question 2What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for a hamburger made from ground beef?
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Answer: B — 155°F for 17 seconds.
Ground (comminuted) meat must reach 155°F (68°C) for 17 seconds, because grinding spreads bacteria from the surface through the whole patty.
Checked against: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-401.11 Raw Animal Foods
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Question 3Which is an acceptable way to thaw frozen raw chicken?
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Answer: B — In the refrigerator, at 41°F or below.
TCS food may be thawed in the refrigerator, under cool running water at 70°F or below, in a microwave if it is cooked right away, or as part of cooking. Counters and standing warm water let the outside warm into the danger zone.
Checked against: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.13 Thawing
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Question 4Cooked chili must be cooled from 135°F to 70°F within what time?
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Answer: C — 2 hours.
Cooked TCS food must be cooled from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, and from 135°F to 41°F or less within a total of 6 hours.
Checked against: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.14 Cooling
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Question 5Leftover soup made yesterday will be reheated for the hot-holding table. What temperature must it reach?
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Answer: D — 165°F for 15 seconds, within 2 hours.
Food that was cooked, cooled and then reheated for hot holding must reach 165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds, and the reheating must take no more than 2 hours.
Checked against: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-403.11 Reheating for Hot Holding
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Question 6Where should you check the temperature of a thick steak?
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Answer: A — In the thickest part.
The thickest part of a food is the last to heat up, so it shows whether all parts of the food reached the required temperature.
Checked against: FDA Food Code 2022, 4-302.12 Food Temperature Measuring Devices; Annex 5 (geometric center or thickest part)
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Time and temperature
Time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food must spend as little time as possible between 41°F and 135°F, the range where bacteria grow. These are the numbers from the FDA Food Code 2022:
| Step | Rule | Food Code |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Cold TCS food at 41°F or below; hot food at 135°F or above; frozen food frozen | 3-202.11 |
| Cold holding | 41°F or below | 3-501.16 |
| Hot holding | 135°F or above | 3-501.16 |
| Poultry, stuffed foods | 165°F, instantaneous | 3-401.11 |
| Ground meat, eggs for hot holding | 155°F for 17 seconds | 3-401.11 |
| Fish, steaks, eggs for immediate service | 145°F for 15 seconds | 3-401.11 |
| Vegetables cooked for hot holding | 135°F | 3-401.13 |
| Cooling cooked food | 135°F to 70°F in 2 hours, then to 41°F within 6 hours in total | 3-501.14 |
| Reheating for hot holding | 165°F for 15 seconds, within 2 hours | 3-403.11 |
| Thawing | In the refrigerator, under running water at 70°F or below, in a microwave if cooked right away, or as part of cooking | 3-501.13 |
| Date marking | Ready-to-eat TCS food made in-house: 7 days at 41°F, day of preparation = day 1 | 3-501.17 |
Check temperatures with a food thermometer in the thickest part of the food. A thermometer that reads only in Fahrenheit must be accurate to plus or minus 2°F (4-203.11).
Why 41°F and 135°F, and why home-cooking advice says 40°F and 140°F: see our guide to the temperature danger zone.
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