ServSafe Food Handler Time and Temperature Summary

The temperature danger zone is 41°F to 135°F. Germs that cause foodborne illness grow fastest between these two temperatures. Keep cold food at 41°F or lower and hot food at 135°F or higher.

Wrong choices

• 32°F to 100°F: 32°F is freezing and 100°F is too low. Germs keep growing up to 135°F.
• 70°F to 165°F: The zone starts lower, at 41°F. 165°F is a cooking and reheating temperature, not the top of the zone.
• 0°F to 41°F: 41°F or lower is the safe range for cold food, not the danger zone.

Cooked rice is a TCS food (Time/Temperature Control for Safety). Moist, cooked foods like rice, beans, and baked potatoes let germs grow if they sit in the danger zone. Meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cut melons, tomatoes, and leafy greens are also TCS foods.

Wrong choices

• Saltine crackers: Crackers are dry, so germs cannot grow well in them.
• A whole, uncut apple: A whole, uncut apple with unbroken skin is not a TCS food.
• Dry, uncooked pasta: Dry pasta has almost no water, so germs cannot grow. Once it is cooked, it becomes TCS.

Put the thermometer in the thickest part of the food. That part heats up last, so it gives you the lowest, most honest reading. If the thickest part is hot enough, the rest is too.

Wrong choices

• On the surface, where it is hottest: The surface heats up first, so it can read hot while the center is still undercooked.
• In the thinnest part, where it cooks first: The thinnest part cooks first. The thick part could still be unsafe.
• In the cooking liquid next to the meat: The liquid around the food can be hotter than the food itself.

Cold TCS food such as fresh raw chicken should be received at 41°F or lower. If it is warmer, germs may already be growing. Reject the delivery and tell your manager.

Wrong choices

• 45°F: 45°F is above the limit for fresh chicken. Reject it.
• 50°F: 50°F is well inside the danger zone.
• 70°F: 70°F is far inside the danger zone. Germs could grow quickly.

Cold TCS food must be held at 41°F or lower. Above 41°F, the food is in the temperature danger zone and germs can grow.

Wrong choices

• 70°F or lower: 70°F is room temperature and inside the danger zone.
• 50°F or lower: 50°F is inside the danger zone.
• 45°F or lower: 45°F is still above 41°F, so it is inside the danger zone.

Hot TCS food must be held at 135°F or higher. Below 135°F, the food is in the temperature danger zone.

Wrong choices

• 100°F: 100°F is in the middle of the danger zone.
• 120°F: 120°F is still below 135°F, so germs can grow.
• 165°F: 165°F is the temperature for reheating food. Holding it hot only needs 135°F or higher.

All poultry, such as chicken and turkey, must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (held for less than 1 second, meaning it only has to reach it). Poultry can carry Salmonella, so it needs the highest cooking temperature.

Wrong choices

• 135°F: 135°F is the hot-holding temperature and is too low for raw poultry.
• 145°F: 145°F is for whole cuts of beef, pork, and fish, not poultry.
• 155°F: 155°F is for ground meat, not poultry.

Ground meat such as hamburger must reach 155°F for 17 seconds. Grinding mixes germs from the surface into the whole patty, so it needs a higher temperature than a whole steak.

Wrong choices

• 145°F: 145°F is for whole cuts like steaks, not ground meat.
• 165°F: 165°F is for poultry and stuffing. It would be safe, but it is not the minimum for ground beef.
• 135°F: 135°F is the hot-holding temperature and is too low for cooking raw ground beef.

Thawing in the refrigerator at 41°F or lower keeps the food out of the danger zone the whole time. Plan ahead, because a large turkey can take several days to thaw this way.

Wrong choices

• On the prep counter overnight: The outside of the turkey warms into the danger zone while the inside is still frozen.
• In a sink of warm, still water: Warm, still water lets the outside sit in the danger zone. Running water must be 70°F or lower.
• Outside by the back door where it is cool: Outdoor temperature is not controlled, and the food is open to pests and dirt.

Cool food from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours. Germs grow fastest in this upper range, so it must pass through quickly. Then cool it from 70°F to 41°F or lower within the next 4 hours.

Wrong choices

• 1 hour: 1 hour is faster than required. The rule allows 2 hours.
• 4 hours: 4 hours is the time for the second stage, from 70°F to 41°F.
• 6 hours: 6 hours is the total time for both stages, from 135°F to 41°F.