Foodborne Illness Risk Factors & Risk Control Plan Tool
Risk Factor: Improper Holding Time/Temperature Data Item #7: Foods Are Cooled Properly
What’s the Risk? If not properly controlled, the cooling process of Time/ Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) Food will create an environment for the remains between 57 ºC (135 ºF) and 5 ºC (41 ° F), the risk increases with time. The toxins produced are tasteless, odorless, and colorless, and have a high probability of causing foodborne illness. growth of spore- forming toxigenic bacteria. If food What's the Rule? Cooked TCS Food shall be cooled: (1) Within 2 hours from 57 ºC (135 ºF) to 21 ºC (70 ° F) and (2) Within a total of 6 hours from 57 ºC (135 ºF) to 5 ºC (41 ° F) or less. TCS Food made from room temperature ingredients shall be cooled to 5 ºC (41 ° F) or less within 4 hours. Use approved cooling methods based on food type. Refer to FDA Food Code: 3-501.14
Why Do You Need a Risk Control Plan? A Risk Control Plan can reduce your risk of causing a foodborne illness outbreak. The process has three parts: 1) identify your chronic issues, 2) determine the root causes, and 3) create a food safety management system. This guidance document can be used to complete an agreement between you and your local regulator to plan for long-term food safety success. PART 1: Identify continuous or chronic out-of-compliance issues • List all cooling issues from previous inspection reports • Identify any pattern or similarity among the citations • List the corrective actions that have already been tried PART 2: Use the table below to determine the root causes • Chronic issues can have multiple root causes • Identify all the people, equipment, economic, or procedural factors that play a role in your recurring issues • This table includes a few examples, but it might not include your specific root cause
PEOPLE
EQUIPMENT
ECONOMICS
PROCEDURES
People not trained on cooling procedures People not trained on cooling equipment options
Equipment has insufficient capacity for this use Improper equipment used, such as deep or insulated pans Ice bath or other cooling method not set up correctly Equipment used improperly or not designed for its intended use Thermometers not available or calibrated
Insufficient time committed to train staff on procedures Insufficient staff scheduled to execute procedures
Written procedures not clear and correct
Written procedures not followed
People not monitoring and documenting cooling temps
Rapid cooling equipment not purchased when needed No budget for repairs and preventive maintenance No budget for replacing unserviceable equipment
Procedures do not identify appropriate cooling tools Procedures are not monitored, monitoring is not documented No process for taking and documenting corrective actions
People leaving food out too long prior to starting cooling Person in charge is not a trained food protection manager
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