Final answer:
The tuna was not cooled correctly; it exceeded the maximum of two hours to go from 135°F to 70°F, thus violating food safety guidelines and potentially encouraging bacterial growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the guidelines for preventing foodborne illnesses and ensuring food safety, tuna that was cooked to temperature should be cooled down quickly to prevent the growth of bacteria. According to the standards, perishable foods should be cooled from 135°F (57°C) to 70°F (21°C) within two hours and then from 70°F (21°C) to 41°F (5°C) within an additional four hours, to prevent bacteria from multiplying. In this case, the cooling process for the tuna took three hours to reach 70°F (21°C) and another two hours to reach 41°F (5°C). This is within the recommended time frame of a total of six hours, but not within the specific cooling periods outlined for the two separate temperature ranges. Therefore, the correct answer is (b) No, because the initial cooling step to 70°F (21°C) was not completed within the required two-hour window.