Cold-Holding Guidelines

When holding cold foods for service, the following guidelines can help prevent food-related illnesses: • Keep the food at 1 ºC - 5 ºC , Protect all foods from possible contamination by covering them or using food shields. ... • Use a food thermometer to measure the food’s internal temperature every two hours, and take corrective action whenever the temp of a cold food item goes above 5 ºC. • Never store food items directly on ice. All food items, with certain exceptions, should be placed in pans or on plates when displayed. Ice used on a display should be self-draining, and all pans  and plates should be sanitized after each use.