4Temperature and storageTemperaturas (RD 1086/2020, art. 30)
Measure the temperature in the centre of the food with a clean thermometer, not on the surface.
| Situation | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Ready meals in the fridge (kept more than 24 hours) | 4 °C or lower |
| Ready meals in the fridge (eaten within 24 hours) | 8 °C or lower |
| Freezing | −18 °C or lower |
| Hot food being served | 63 °C or higher |
| Cooling cooked food | from 60 °C to 10 °C in under 2 hours |
| Reheating | 74 °C in the centre for at least 15 seconds, within 1 hour |
- Thawing: thaw frozen food in the fridge, never on the counter or in the sun. The microwave is fine if you cook it straight away.
- Never freeze thawed food again, unless you cook it first.
- Cooling: split a big pot into small containers so it cools faster.
- Reheating: only once. What is left after reheating goes in the bin.
- Dates: Fecha de caducidad = use-by date: never use after it. Consumo preferente = best-before date: about quality, not safety.
- Stock rotation: first in, first out (FIFO). Label every container with the food's name and the date it was made, opened or frozen.
The sample meal (comida testigo): some kitchens keep a sample of every dish they serve, every day. These are school and nursery canteens, care homes, hospitals and children's camps, company canteens with one menu, transport catering, event caterers, and orders for more than 40 people. You take the sample when the food is served. It weighs at least 100 g and carries the dish name and the date. It stays in the fridge at 4 °C or colder, or in the freezer at −18 °C or colder, for at least 7 days. If people fall ill, health inspectors test it to find the cause.
Example: the fridge shows 9 °C and it holds meals kept for more than a day. That is above 4 °C. Tell your manager at once and write the temperature on the record sheet.
A) Nothing, samples are only for big restaurants
B) Keep at least 100 g, with the dish name and date, in the fridge or freezer for 7 days
C) Keep it one day on the counter