Within how many hours must cooked TCS food be cooled from 135 to 70

The temperature danger zone has its name for a reason. A single bacterium doubles every 20 minutes in the right conditions, meaning it can multiply trillions of times in just 24 hours without proper attention to food safety. The temperature danger zone is between 41℉ and 135℉—a temperature range in which pathogens grow well. Harmful microorganisms can grow to levels high enough to cause illness within four hours.

Foods That Need Time and Temperature Control

Any type of food can host contaminants, but some foods are better than others for the growth of pathogens. Foods that need time and temperature control for safety—known as TCS foods—include milk and dairy products, eggs, meat (beef, pork, and lamb), poultry, fish, shellfish and crustaceans, baked potatoes, tofu or other soy protein, sprouts and sprout seeds, sliced melons, cut tomatoes, cut leafy greens, untreated garlic-and-oil mixtures, and cooked rice, beans, and vegetables.

How to Thaw TCS Foods

TCS food can be thawed one of four ways:
Refrigeration — thaw at a temperature of 41℉ or lower.
Running Water — submerge food under running water at 70℉ or lower.
Microwaving — only to be used if food will be cooked immediately after thawing.
Cooking — include thawing in the cooking process.

TCS Holding Temperatures

Cold foods must be maintained at 41℉ or less.
Hot food must be maintained at 135℉ or above.
Be sure to check the temperature at least every four hours.
Checking the temperature every two hours would be ideal to leave time for corrective action.
Throw out food that is not 41ºF or lower, or 135ºF or higher.

Cooling Foods

Food must pass through the temperature danger zone quickly to reduce the growth of pathogens. First the food must be cooled from 135℉ to 70℉ within two hours, then cooled to 41℉ or lower in the next four hours. If the food has not reached 70℉ within two hours, it must be thrown out or reheated and then cooled again. The total cooling time cannot be longer than six hours.

The most effective way to cool food is to reduce its size. This involves dividing large containers of food into smaller containers or shallow pans.

Methods for cooling foods include:

Ice-water bath
Ice paddle
Blast or tumble chiller
Using cold water as an ingredient (soups, stews, etc.)

***Note: Coolers are designed to keep cold food cold, not to cool hot food quickly.

Reheating Foods

Food that will be served immediately can be reheated to any temperature as long as the food was cooked and cooled properly. Food reheated for hot-holding must reach an internal temperature of 165℉ within two hours. The food needs to stay at this temperature for at least 15 seconds before serving.

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Keep food safe with time and temperature control

A leading cause of foodborne illness is time and temperature abuse of TCS (food requiring time and temperature control for safety) foods. TCS foods are time and temperature abused any time they’re in the temperature danger zone, 41 to 135 degrees F. This occurs when food is:

Not cooked to the recommended minimum internal temperature.
Not held at the proper temperature.
Not cooled or reheated properly.

Temperature danger zone: 41 to 135 degrees F.

The longer food is in the temperature danger zone, the more time pathogens have to grow. The goal is to reduce the amount of time TCS food spends in the temperature danger zone. If food is held in this range for four or more hours, you must throw it out. It’s better to check temps every two hours and take corrective action when needed.

Time and temperature

Do you get confused over all the specific time and temperature requirements? For a quick and reliable reference, print a copy of Minnesota Department of Health fact sheet, Temperature Requirements for Potentially Hazardous Foods. All the following times and temps are included.

Cold holding - 41 F or less

Cold foods must be maintained at 41 F or less.

Cooking temperatures

The following MUST be cooked to listed internal temperatures and times:

145 F or above for 15 seconds

Eggs for immediate service.
Fish (except as otherwise required).
Meat (except as otherwise required).
Commercially raised game animals (except as otherwise required).

155 F or above for 15 seconds, or
150 F or above for one minute, or
145 F or above for three minutes

Chopped or ground meat.
Chopped or ground fish.
Chopped or ground commercially raised game animals.
Pork.
Injected meats.
Eggs cooked for hot holding.

165 F or above for 15 seconds

Poultry.
Stuffed food products.
Stuffing containing fish, meat, poultry or wild game animals.

Microwave cooking to 165 F

Time and temperature control for safety foods cooked in a microwave must be cooked to 165 F. The product must be covered, and rotated or stirred during the cooking process. After cooking, allow two minutes stand time before serving.

Hot holding temperatures at 140 F or above

Hot food must be maintained at 140 F or above.

Cool foods as quick as possible

Foods must be cooled from 135 to 70 degrees F within 2 hours and from 70 to 41 F within an additional 4 hours. The goal is to cool foods as quickly as possible.

Reheat foods to 165 F for 15 seconds

Food that is reheated must reach a minimum internal temperature of at least 165 F for 15 seconds. Reheating must be done rapidly and the minimum temperature must be reached within two hours. Steam tables, warmers, or similar equipment do not heat food quickly enough and must not be used for reheating food.

Tools for temperature control

Train your staff

Remember it’s your responsibility to provide the training and the tools your staff needs to monitor time and temperature. Your staff needs to learn:

What to do.
How to do it.
Why it’s important.
What corrective action to take, if necessary.

Provide thermometers and temperature logs

Along with training, provide your staff with thermometers and temperature logs for successful monitoring.

If you need help with selecting the right thermometers for your business, Iowa State University Extension has developed an excellent resource, Thermometer Use in Retail Foodservice Establishments. It provides details of commonly used temperature-sensing devices and how to use them to ensure food safety and quality.

ServSafe® Manager Book 7th Edition.

Reviewed in 2021

How much time do you have to safely cool chili from 135 F to 70 F?

Properly cooked chili is cooled from 135°F to 70°F in 2 hours. Four hours remain to completely cool the chili to 41°F. Tuna salad prepared from room temperature ingredients is cooled from 68°F to 41°F in 4 hours or less.

What is the maximum number of hours that TCS food can safely spend in the temperature danger zone?

TCS foods that are ready-to-eat can be safely consumed in a four hour window. If they have not been temperature controlled, they should be discarded after four hours. Hot held and cold held foods can be served for four hours without temperature controls if they are discarded after the four-hour time limit.

What is the 2 4 hour rule?

If the total time is: • Less than 2 hours, the food can be used or put back in the refrigerator for later use, Between 2 and 4 hours, the food can still be used, but can't be put back in the refrigerator, and • 4 hours or longer, the food must be thrown out.

How should cooked TCS foods be cooled?

Pre-chill the ingredients. Chill cooked TCS foods from 135°F to 70°F in 2 hours or less, and from 70°F to 41°F or less within another 4 hours.

What is the maximum length of time that ready

Ready-to-eat TCS food stored at 41°F (5°C) or lower can only be stored for a maximum of 7 days. After this time some types of bacteria can grow to dangerous levels.