Cooling and reheating food procedure
SOP template
Check this template against your local regulations and your own policies before you use it.
| SOP no. | Version | Effective date | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Approver | Review date |
Purpose
To cool and reheat food quickly enough to keep it out of the temperature range in which bacteria grow.
Scope
All cooked food that is cooled to serve later, such as stocks, sauces, rice, meats and curries.
Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Cooks | Cool, label, reheat and record food as this procedure sets out. |
| Head chef | Checks the records each day and acts on any failure. |
What you need
- Calibrated probe thermometer
- Shallow trays, ice baths or a blast chiller
Procedure
Start cooling straight away
Don’t leave cooked food to stand. Divide large batches into shallow trays or smaller containers.
Cool it fast
Use an ice bath, stir it, or put it in a blast chiller. Meet the time limits your local food rules set for each cooling stage.
Caution: Rice, stocks and large joints are the highest risk. Never cool them slowly at room temperature.
Probe and record
Probe the centre at each stage and record the time and temperature.
Label and store
Cover and label the food with what it is and the date made, and store it in the fridge.
Reheat thoroughly
Reheat until the centre reaches the temperature your food rules set, and probe it to check. Reheat only once.
Hold hot or serve
Keep reheated food hot or serve it straight away. Throw out anything that fails.
Records
- The cooling and reheating record with times and temperatures.
Related documents
- Food temperature log
Revision history
| Version | Date | What changed | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
