Angevine Middle School

Official wording

3-501.16 Time/temperature control for food safety. Observed cooked chicken drums in the steam table at temperatures ranging from 112°F to 120°F, while other foods were found at 135°F. Time/temperature control for food safety shall be maintained at 135°F at all times during hot holding. Talked to the kitchen manager, and she states she cooked the chicken drums to a minimum temperature of 165°F. The chicken had been cooked for less than an hour and a half, so it was safe to serve.

In plain English

Food was not kept cold enough, hot enough, cooled fast enough, or cooked or reheated to the right temperature. Bacteria grow quickly in the "danger zone" between 41°F and 135°F, which makes this one of the most important food-safety checks.