Food Handling Controls (Show all)

Are all practical measures taken to ensure potentially hazardous food is received under temperature control?

Guidance		The Code requires that a food business take all practical measures to ensure all potentially hazardous food is received under adequate temperature control (see Standard 3.2.2 cl 5(3) of the Code). Adequate temperature control means that the food is either 5⁰C or below or 60⁰C or above to prevent the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms. A food business must take all practical measures to ensure it does not accept a delivery of potentially hazardous food that is at a temperature between 5⁰C and 60⁰C. This applies unless the business transporting the food can demonstrate to the business receiving the food that the temperature of the food (taking into account transport time) will not make the food unsafe. An explanation of alternatives temperature control methods is at Appendix A. For example, freshly made sandwiches are delivered to a function at 10⁰C. This would be considered safe provided they were only transported a short distance and then either refrigerated immediately or sold for immediate consumption. A food business should discuss the temperature at which potentially hazardous food is to be delivered with the food transporter before the delivery. A contractual agreement should be made so that both food businesses understand the temperature at which potentially hazardous food is to be delivered. If a food transporter delivers potentially hazardous food that is at a temperature between 5oC and 60oC and cannot demonstrate that the food is safe, the food business must not accept the food. The Code also requires that food businesses take all practical measures to ensure that potentially hazardous food that is intended to be frozen is frozen when accepted (see Standard 3.2.2 cl 5(4) of the Code). ‘Frozen’ does not include food that is partly thawed.
Non-compliance	Minor	One to two potentially hazardous food items are received slightly out of temperature control. E.g. delivery of yoghurt is accepted with an internal temperature of 6oC (required to be <5oC) without records of time outside of temperature control and is placed immediately in the fridge.
	Major	The food business is not checking any potentially hazardous food upon receipt and supplier does not provide any temperature checks. Potentially hazardous foods that will undergo a pathogen reduction step (e.g. cooking) are accepted outside of the appropriate temperature range (<5oC or >60oC) without documentation of time outside of temperature control. E.g. delivery of raw chicken accepted at 10oC without documentation of time/temperature control. Frozen potentially hazardous foods that are intended to be accepted frozen are accepted thawed or partially thawed.
	Critical	Potentially hazardous food is delivered and left outside without knowledge of the temperature upon delivery. E.g. a delivery of milk is left outside a café and found an hour later >5oC. The café is unable to determine the temperature of the milk upon delivery. Potentially hazardous foods are accepted outside of the appropriate temperature range (<5⁰ or >60⁰C) and the food business cannot demonstrate that the food is safe. Potentially hazardous ready-to-eat foods are accepted after being out of temperature control (>5⁰C or <60⁰C) for a period of 4 hours or more or without any documentation demonstrating time/temperature control.