Australian workplace guide
Food temperature control in Australian food businesses
Keep potentially hazardous food cold or hot, cool it safely and distinguish cooling from the 2-hour/4-hour rule.
Cold and hot holding
Keep potentially hazardous food at 5°C or colder, or 60°C or hotter, unless a demonstrated safe alternative applies. Measure food temperatures with a suitable thermometer. Cooking requirements depend on the food and process; exceeding the holding temperature is not by itself a validated cooking process.
Cooling cooked food
Cool potentially hazardous food from 60°C to 21°C within two hours, then from 21°C to 5°C within a further four hours, unless a safe alternative is demonstrated. Divide food into smaller portions and monitor cooling.
Reheating for hot holding
Rapidly reheat previously cooked and cooled potentially hazardous food to 60°C or hotter before hot holding. This holding requirement is distinct from the validated process needed to cook the food safely.
The 2-hour/4-hour rule
For refrigerated potentially hazardous food held between 5°C and 60°C, add up the total time: under two hours, use it or return it to refrigeration; from two to four hours, use it immediately; over four hours, discard it. This rule is separate from the two-stage cooling process.
Further guidance
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