Food that is not properly chilled can harbour harmful bacteria.
The following foods need to be kept chilled to keep them safe:
- Food with a use by date.
- Food that says keep refrigerated on the label.
- Food you have cooked and will not serve immediately.
- Ready to eat foods such as salads and desserts.
Chilling down hot food:
Options for chilling down hot food:
- Divide food into smaller portions.
- Cover pans of hot food and stand in cold water.
- Stir regularly while chilling down.
- Cover hot food and move it to a colder area.
The four senses are very important when it comes to deciding whether or not food should be consumed:
SIGHT - do the ingredients look the right colour, is it bruised, is it limp?
SMELL - do the ingredients smell fresh? Or is there a rancid or “soily” smell (lettuce).
HEAR - talk and ask other peoples opinions if you aren’t sure.
TOUCH - do the ingredients feel right? Are the tomatoes soft and over ripe?
TASTE – taste the ingredients, would you eat them?
For further information on safe food chilling and storage, click here.
Your actions:
1. Keep a log of events if things go wrong, what did you do?
2. Review your chilling methods to ensure they are working properly.
3. Plan in enough time and make portions small enough.
4. Train your team.
