food safety cooling
Two-Stage Cooling of Cooked Foods
Cool cooked TCS food from 135 F to 41 F or below: 2-hour first stage, 6-hour total.
12 steps6 criticalLimit 90 minAlways tested
Steps
- 1Critical stepCool cooked TCS food from 135 degrees F (57 degrees C) to 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) within 2 hours
- 2Critical stepThen cool it to 41 degrees F (5 degrees C) or below within a total of 6 hours from 135 degrees F
- 3Critical stepCool TCS food made from ingredients at room temperature, such as reconstituted foods or canned tuna, to 41 degrees F or below within 4 hours
- 4Pick one or more cooling methods that suit the food: shallow pans, smaller or thinner portions, rapid cooling equipment, stirring in an ice water bath, containers that facilitate heat transfer, or adding ice as an ingredient
- 5Shallow pans: spread the food out; shallow metal pans cool food faster than glass or plastic
- 6Ice bath: set the pot in a sink filled with ice (up to the level of the food) and cold water, stir the food often, and add more ice as it melts
- 7Cut large foods into smaller or thinner pieces and spread them out so they are not touching
- 8In cooling or cold-holding equipment, arrange the containers for maximum heat transfer through the container walls; do not stack pans, and leave room for air to move
- 9Critical stepKeep the food loosely covered, or uncovered if protected from overhead contamination, while it cools; cover it once it reaches 41 degrees F
- 10Check the temperature with a thermometer to confirm the food reached 70 degrees F within 2 hours and 41 degrees F within 6 hours
- 11Critical stepA cooling log is recommended: write the times and temperatures on it
- 12If a time or temperature limit is missed, throw the food away (North Dakota guidance)
What graders are watching for
Tips
- Remember that the 6 hours is a total counted from 135 degrees F, not a fresh 6 hours after the food reaches 70 degrees F
- Glass and plastic insulate, so food cools more slowly in them than in shallow metal pans
- Chill food partly uncovered, then cover it once it reaches 41 degrees F; stacked pans block air circulation and hold heat
Common mistakes
- Starting the clock late, after the food has already dropped from 135 F.
- Adding a fresh 6 hours after reaching 70 F instead of counting 6 hours total from 135 F.
- Cooling a deep, full pot in the refrigerator without dividing it.
- Stacking pans or filling the cooler so air cannot move around them.
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Sources and how we check them: How we verify.