What Should the Temperature be When Hot Holding?

What Should the Temperature be When Hot Holding?

Ensuring food safety is crucial for any food service business, and one key aspect of this is maintaining the correct temperature for hot-held food. Hot holding refers to the practice of keeping cooked food at a safe temperature until it is ready to be served. In the UK, this means keeping food at 63 °C (145 °F) or above to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. In this blog, we’ll discuss the legal requirements, best practices, and tools for effective hot holding.

 

 

Hot holding temperature 

Food that is being kept hot until service must stay at 63 °C (145 °F) or above to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria. This is a legal requirement for UK businesses. 

If it’s not possible to do this, you are allowed to serve food stored below 63 °C (145 °F) for two hours. After this time, it must be chilled to below 8 °C (46 °F)  as quickly as possible, reheated to 75 °C (157 °F), or discarded. You must only reheat food once. 

The reason hot food should stay above 63 °C is so that it doesn’t enter the Danger Zone. This is the temperature range where harmful bacteria may grow, 8 to 63 °C. 

 

 

How long can you hot hold food for?

In the UK, food can be hot held indefinitely as long as it is maintained at a temperature of 63 °C (145 °F) or higher. However, food tends to degrade in quality, flavour and texture after two to four hours, so it is best to discard it after this time. 

 

Tips for hot holding food safely 

 

Use the right equipment

Ensure you have reliable hot holding equipment, like hot cabinets and bain-maries, that can maintain a consistent temperature of 63 °C (145 °F) or above.

 

Preheat before use

Always preheat hot holding equipment to the correct temperature before adding the food to prevent any initial cooling.

 

Regular temperature checks

Use a precise thermometer to monitor the food’s temperature regularly, making sure it stays at or above 63 °C (145 °F).

 

Keep food covered

Cover food with lids or foil to retain heat and moisture, prevent temperature drops, and keep food in optimal condition.

 

Stir frequently

Stir foods periodically to ensure even heat distribution and prevent any cold spots where bacteria could thrive.

 

Small batches

Hold food in smaller batches to ensure it heats evenly and stays at a safe temperature throughout.

 

Avoid overfilling

Don’t overcrowd hot holding equipment, as this can impede heat circulation and lead to uneven temperatures.

 

A hand holding a food probe which is measuring the temperature of a tray of pies inside a hot cabinet.

 

Thermometers for hot holding 

Hot held food is typically checked every two hours. But each business’ requirements can be slightly different, and their HACCP plan will outline how often they need to carry out a temperature check. 

The most common type of thermometer for hot holding is an instant-read food probe. For a compact, folding probe with fast and accurate readings, Thermapen thermometers are the best choice. If you’d like the flexibility of interchangeable probes, we recommend the Therma 20 thermistor thermometer. It has a high system accuracy which is guaranteed for the life of the thermometer, and is compatible with test caps which enable rapid calibration checks. 

Many businesses are now choosing to upgrade their favourite probes to their Bluetooth counterparts. When readings are taken, they’re sent straight to your device without needing to be handwritten in a log book. Not only does this add a time and date stamp to each temperature check, preventing errors or false readings, but it also keeps all your data in an organised and accessible digital archive. The Thermapen Blue would be a great choice for hot holding, but there are many other types available, depending on your preference.

 

 

Summary

Maintaining the correct temperature for hot-held food is essential for food safety and quality. In the UK, the legal requirement is to keep hot-held food at 63 °C (145 °F) or above. If this is not possible, food can be served below this temperature for up to two hours before it must be chilled, reheated, or discarded. 

Regular temperature checks, using the right equipment, and following best practices can help ensure food remains safe and enjoyable. Reliable thermometers, like those from Thermapen, are indispensable tools for monitoring temperatures accurately, with Bluetooth options providing added convenience and precision.

 

 

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