What is the hot holding two-hour exemption?
The hot holding two-hour exemption allows food to be kept at temperatures below the usual minimum of 63°C for up to two hours. This is useful during events or service periods when maintaining a constant temperature is challenging. After two hours, you must either reheat the food to above 63°C, serve it immediately, or cool it down and store it safely.
Common misunderstanding: Food can be left out indefinitely as long as it's reheated eventually.
Even with the exemption, food cannot be left out for more than two hours. This limit helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses.
Common misunderstanding: The two-hour exemption applies to all types of food.
This exemption generally applies to foods that are typically held hot for service, such as cooked meats, rice, or cooked vegetables. Highly perishable items or foods that require strict temperature control for safety should not use this exemption.
When can food be kept below 63°C under the exemption?
Food can be kept below 63°C under the two-hour exemption during special circumstances such as catering events, buffet service, or when equipment failure occurs temporarily. It's important to track the time closely — the two-hour period starts the moment the food temperature drops below 63°C.
Common misunderstanding: The temperature can fluctuate frequently as long as it doesn't exceed two hours in total.
The two-hour window is continuous and begins from the first point the food drops below 63°C. Frequent temperature fluctuations within this period are not allowed as they can increase the risk of bacterial growth.
Common misunderstanding: Any drop in temperature below 63°C is acceptable during the exemption period.
While the food can be held below 63°C, it should not be allowed to drop too low. Keeping it as close to 63°C as possible minimizes the risk of harmful bacteria developing.
What are the rules after the two-hour exemption period ends?
Once the two-hour exemption period ends, you must either reheat the food to at least 63°C, serve it immediately, or cool it rapidly to a safe storage temperature if it's not going to be consumed right away. If none of these actions are feasible, the food should be discarded to prevent the risk of foodborne illness.
Common misunderstanding: Food can be reheated multiple times after the exemption period.
Reheating food multiple times can degrade its quality and safety. Ideally, food should only be reheated once after the initial cooking and hot holding period.
Common misunderstanding: Food is safe to eat after the two-hour period without any further action.
Without reheating, serving immediately, or proper cooling and storage, food left out after the two-hour exemption can harbor harmful bacteria and should not be considered safe for consumption.