Food Handling Controls (Show all)

Is all potentially hazardous food transported under temperature control?

Guidance		All potentially hazardous food must be kept under appropriate temperature control during transportation. Additionally, all potentially hazardous food that is intended to be transported frozen must remain frozen during transportation [see Standard 3.2.2 cl 10(b), (c)]. Potentially hazardous food must be maintained at 5°C or below or 60°C or above. If the food business is transporting the food at a temperature between 5oC and 60oC, they must be able to demonstrate that this will not adversely affect its microbiological safety. As a general rule, food businesses should not transport potentially hazardous food without adequate temperature control; if transport times will exceed 2 hours (see Appendix A for more detail). If a food business decides to use time as a control rather than temperature, the business must monitor and record the amount of time that the potentially hazardous food is between the temperatures of 5°C and 60°C during transport. The food business transporting frozen potentially hazardous food must keep this food frozen unless otherwise requested by the food business that is to receive this food. This request should be in writing to avoid any disputes. Storage instructions may be provided by the manufacturer. These storage conditions need to be followed during transportation to ensure that food keeps for its intended shelf life as stated by the ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date.
Non-compliance	Minor	Potentially hazardous food is delivered slightly out of temperature control without time/temperature documentation and is placed immediately into refrigeration. E.g. milk is delivered at 8oC and is immediately placed into refrigeration without information regarding transport times and temperatures. Food which is intended to remain frozen does not remain frozen solid during transportation.
	Major	Ready to eat potentially hazardous food is transported and delivered outside of temperature control and the business is not able to demonstrate time/temperature requirements. E.g. cheese and antipasto platters containing meat is transported in an unrefrigerated vehicle and is delivered at 10°C without documentation of time/temperature controls. Large delivery of raw meat products are received with 2 or more products outside of temperature control without time/temperature documentation. E.g. a butcher shop delivers 20kg of chicken, beef and lamb to a local restaurant in 2kg bags. Two of the bags containing lamb and 1 bag of chicken have an internal temperature of 13°C.
	Critical	Majority of food transported is found outside of temperature control with no methods in place for time/temperature control or temperature monitoring. E.g. a delivery of smallgoods is received and 13 of the 15 products are above 5°C and there is no record of any temperature controls or monitoring.