Question

A food worker is cooking eggs that will be hot held. What are the recommended temperature guidelines for hot holding cooked eggs, and what precautions should the food worker take to ensure food safety during this process?

Answer 1

To hot hold cooked eggs safely, maintain a temperature of at least 63 degrees C (145 degrees F), use a thermometer for monitoring, and practice rigorous hand hygiene and surface sanitation to avoid contamination.

Step-by-step explanation:

When hot holding cooked eggs, the recommended temperature is at least 63 degrees C (145 degrees F) to prevent bacterial growth. To ensure food safety during this process, food workers should use a thermometer to regularly check the temperature of the eggs, making sure they do not fall into the danger zone of 4 to 60 degrees C (40 to 140 degrees F) where bacteria multiply most rapidly. Food workers should also practice regular handwashing, especially before and after handling food, and make sure any surfaces or utensils that come into contact with the eggs are properly sanitized to prevent cross-contamination.

Additionally, it's important to be cautious when working with hot equipment and boiling water, as one can easily get burnt. If the temperature control fails and the hot held eggs remain within the danger zone for more than two hours, the eggs should be discarded to prevent the risk of foodborne illness. Lastly, thorough cooking is crucial to kill bacteria, requiring that eggs reach an internal temperature of at least 74 degrees C (165 degrees F).