Restaurant Advice: Tips On Managing Food Temperature
Today my restaurant advice has something to do with food temperature and everything to do with food safety.
Simply put, food sanitation isn’t all about proper hand washing techniques and clean cooking equipment. The restaurant operator—I’m looking at you—also needs to put into consideration food temperature. It’s perhaps one of the best restaurant advice a consultant could give his or her client.
Check the temperature of the food products as soon as the delivery truck arrives. Reject everything that’s above 41 Fahrenheit. Then immediately put away everything else into the storage room or freezer.
Here are the recommended temperatures for fresh ingredients:
Meat and poultry – 33-36ºF
Shellfish: Crustaceans (crabs, live lobsters) – 45ºF
Shellfish: Mollusks (oysters, clams, scallops) – 32-33ºF
Fish – 32-33ºF
Eggs – 38-40ºF
Fruit and vegetables – 38-40ºF
Eggs – 38-40ºF
Note: Crustaceans are an exception since these live creatures have the ability to fight off bacteria by themselves.
Use a commercial kitchen thermometer to do the readings. Make sure you and your kitchen staff are trained how to use the thermometer properly, in case you’re not around.
A tried-and-true restaurant advice is to stick the thermometer into the thickest section of whatever you want to measure. The tip of the thermometer should be in about the center. It takes around five minutes to get a proper reading. Sanitize the thermometer before and after use.
But if it’s the other way around—in this case, if you are chilling food that was heated—the best way to prevent bacterial growth is by chilling it rapidly. Use a cold paddle or blast chiller for this. Then store the food in the refrigerator or freezer to retain its freshness.
Here are the recommended temperatures for cooked food.
Reheating leftovers – 165ºF
Ground beef – 155ºF
Poultry and stuffing – 165ºF
Beef – 140ºF
Pork – 150ºF
Seafood – 140ºF
Lamb – 140ºF
Maintaining food temperature has only good things in store for your restaurant. It ensures your loyal patrons are eating safe and healthy food, keeps the freshness of your ingredients, and therefore improves the overall taste of your menu.
If you are really serious about this business of yours, you’ll listen to this restaurant advice.