Cold Food Storage Chart (2024)

FAQs

What is the cold food storage for Servsafe? ›

Storage temperatures keep pathogens in check, so store cold TCS foods at an internal temperature of 41°F or lower, and hot TCS foods at 135°F or higher. Store frozen foods frozen. Storage must be well ventilated with open shelving, and accurate to plus/minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit with a visible thermometer.

Cold Food. Hold cold foods at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less and check the temperature every four hours. If the temperature of the food at four hours is greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit, the food must be discarded.

Food should be stored in a refrigerator that is 40°F or cooler or a freezer that is 0°F or cooler.

From top to bottom, store food in this order: ready-to-eat food, seafood, whole cuts of beef and pork, ground meat and seafood, and whole and ground poultry.

Always store ready-to-eat foods on the top shelf to prevent possible cross-contamination of bacteria from raw foods. Arrange other shelves by cooking temperatures (highest cooking temperature on the bottom). Thermometers: Keep at least one accurate thermometer in the warmest part of the refrigerator.

Storing Cold Food Safety Tips

The items stored in your cooler or refrigerator should be produce, dairy products, ready-to-eat foods, meats, condiments, etc. Keep your cooler at 35 – 38 degrees to keep foods at 41 degrees or below. Be aware to not overstock your cooler, as it may prevent air flow.

Foods kept in cold holding must stay at or below 41°F at all times. Foods that fall into the “Danger Zone” must be thrown away. If the temperature of food falls into the “Danger Zone”, throw away the food. Germs grow quickly at these temperatures, making food unsafe to eat.

Chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below, except for certain exceptions. When you display cold food, e.g. on a buffet, you should use suitable chilled display equipment to keep it at 8°C or below.

An oft-repeated reason to avoid sticking an open can in the fridge is that chemicals from the metal can and packaging could seep into the food and contaminate it with Bisphenol-A (BPA). This synthetic compound has hormone-like properties, which can build up in humans and potentially affect metabolism and disease rates.

What are the 5 guidelines for food storage? ›

The best plan is to put leftovers in the refrigerator right after your meal. Food that is sitting out for a party or picnic should be chilled after two hours at typical room temperature. If it's above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) or more, food should not sit out for more than one hour.

Food held between 5oC and 60oC for less than 2 hours can be used, sold or put back in the refrigerator to use later. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 2-4 hours can still be used or sold, but can't be put back in the fridge. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 4 hours or more must be thrown away.

Remember the 2-Hour Rule: Discard any perishables left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, unless you're keeping it hot or cold. If the buffet is held in a place where the temperature is above 90 °F, the safe holding time is reduced to 1 hour. Watch the clock with leftovers, too!

When working properly, the refrigerator temperature should be 40° F (4.4 °C) or below; the freezer, 0° F (-17.8 °C) or lower. After the power comes back on, if you're not sure a particular food is cold enough, take its temperature with a food thermometer.

Cold storage is the process of storing perishable food items at a low temperature to maintain food safety and improve food preservation. Foods that require cold storage include meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish and dairy products such as ice cream.

Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C). Check temperatures periodically.

A food cold chain refers to maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the supply chain, including production, storage, transportation, and distribution, to preserve the quality and safety of perishable food products.

Storing Cold Food Safety Tips

The items stored in your cooler or refrigerator should be produce, dairy products, ready-to-eat foods, meats, condiments, etc. Keep your cooler at 35 – 38 degrees to keep foods at 41 degrees or below. Be aware to not overstock your cooler, as it may prevent air flow.