Sanitation and Storage

Appears in
Professional Cooking
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

  • About
Hot foods that have been handled in a sanitary manner and that are served at or above a temperature that kills microorganisms can usually be considered safe and sanitary to eat. Cold foods, on the other hand, present special problems because they are stored and handled after cooking. During this time, they may be exposed to disease-causing organisms. Because these foods are not subjected to further cooking, the organisms will not be destroyed.

For this reason, it is particularly important to follow all the rules of safe food handling. Make sure tools, containers, and work surfaces are clean and sanitary. Keep ingredients refrigerated when they are not being worked on, and keep the finished product refrigerated until service time. Always observe the four-hour rule, as explained.