Hot holding Safety challenge

Even after high-profile food safety crises, some retailers may be taking chances

When it comes to holding foods, the golden rule for safety remains: Keep the product either under 40[degrees]F or over 140[degrees]F. That's been the standard since the early 1990s, when children died after eating improperly cooked hamburgers contaminated with E.coli bacteria sold at a Jack In the Box fast food restaurant. Shortly after the famous court case that followed, HACCP went into effect, a flurry of newer, safer holding equipment units went on the market and supermarkets, restaurants and other food retailers instituted stringent policies for round-the-clock chart-logging of temperatures and times.

Yet, despite these sweeping changes, the safety of hot-held foods is still a major question in supermarkets. According to 1998 statistics from the International Food Safety Council, improper holding temperatures account for 59 percent of foodborne illnesses.

TO EACH FOOD ITS OWN

Because each food can have a slightly different holding temperature requirement, manufacturers of hot holding cabinets and display cases have had to improve their technology to allow simultaneous holding of different kinds of products without jeopardizing taste, smell, texture and appearance. Today's units feature dry heat, humid heat or a combination. Most models are heated by a fan that blows hot air over water to produce humidity. Some have a live heating element inside the bottom of the cabinet or case, and others heat via an in-wall air ducting system that keeps the hot air still inside the unit, "which prevents moisture shrink to the product and the intermingling of flavors via blown air," said John Schirico, president of Hot Food Boxes, Inc., a Chicago-based manufacturer with an in-wall system used in Chicago-area Jewel Food Stores.

"Retailers stretch the margins with hot food more than cold food," Schirico said. "Many operators cook their food, let it reach an ambient temperature and then try to reheat it in their cabinets, which can promote bacteria formation.

"The bottom line is, once a food is cooked, it should be held in the safe temperature zone until it's served. It needs to get into the hot holding cabinet quickly once it's cooked, and that cabinet should be preheated beforehand. If you'd rather rethermalize or serve the food later, you have to cool the product off within two hours after cooking using something like a blast chiller, not a refrigerator."

Holding foods properly is "a matter of good clock management," said Kim Aaron, marketing services specialist for Carter-Hoffmann Corp., a Mundelein, Ill.-based manufacturer of foodservice equipment, including the HB series of convected air cabinets. "After holding a food for a couple of hours, it's time to throw it away if it hasn't been sold."

McGinnis Sisters, a specialty food store in Monroeville, Pa., sells a rotating menu of entrees--from tuna noodle casserole to meatballs--out of its hot holding deli cabinet. Staff meticulously maintain hot holding and cooling charts with each product. "I even keep up to three months' worth of charts and records in case the health inspector visits," said deli manager Cathy Loughran.

Anita Greffen, a deli clerk at a Safeway supermarket in Columbia, Md., which sells up to six different products out of its hot holding display case, said her store prefers to hold hot foods between 165 and 170[degrees]F. Though business is brisk and the case is continually stocked throughout the day, she and other deli personnel are careful to check temperatures with a digital temperature gun every hour.

POLICIES AND COMMON SENSE

"Every store will have its own policy, but it should conform to FDA guidelines, which require that a food be checked at least every two hours," said Mary Kay O'Connor, director of education for International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association, Madison, Wis., which develops retail training and management programs, including "Be Safe, Not Sorry," a program for supermarkets.

While time and temperature charting are important, Schirico feels supermarket staff need to use more common sense when dealing with hot-held foods. He recommends covering pans and trays to retain moisture and flavor. Try cooking more often in smaller quantities to reduce spoilage, he said--and if in doubt, throw it out.

"We have many manufacturers out there that claim they can hold foods fresh for five to eight hours. The truth is, you don't want to hold something for eight hours," Schirico said; doing so may keep the product safe from bacteria, but taste and quality will suffer.

It's also good practice to give shoppers post-purchase safety tips, Loughran added. "As they're ringing up the order, you may want to have your clerks remind the customer to keep the food cold if they aren't going to eat it for a while, or post a sign with safety suggestions," she said. One good tip to post: If the food isn't going to be eaten right away, it should be wrapped in cellophane or an airtight container and put in the refrigerator.

Hot holding food safety tips

* Because it takes far too long for product kept in them to reach an internal temperature of 145[degrees]F or higher, warmers or steam tables should never be used to finish cooling a product.

* Hot food temperatures should be checked with a clean thermometer before the food is moved to the hot holding unit. Temperature readings should be taken in several areas of the product.

* Food temperatures should be checked at least every two hours while in the hot holding unit. The safe range is 140[degrees]F or above. If a product dips below this temperature, reheat it immediately to 165[degrees]F and then put it back on display (or follow your store's policy). Never reheat it more than once and put it back out on display.

* Rotate items regularly so hot foods are cooked first and served first.

Source: IDDBA

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