Question

A chef sanitized a thermometer probe and then checked the temperature of minestrone soup being held in a hot-holding unit. The temperature was 120 degrees F, which did not meet the operation's critical limit of 135 degrees F. The chef recorded the temperature in the log and reheated the soup to 165 degrees F for 15 seconds. Which was the corrective action?

a) Continue serving the soup without reheating.
b) Discard the soup and prepare a new batch.
c) Record the temperature and serve the soup as is.
d) Reheat the soup to 140 degrees F for 5 seconds.

Answer 1

The chef's corrective action was reheating the soup to 165 degrees F for 15 seconds, to ensure it surpassed the critical temperature limit for safe consumption.

Step-by-step explanation:

The corrective action taken by the chef was to reheat the minestrone soup to 165 degrees F for 15 seconds. In food safety, it is important to ensure that food being held for service is kept above the operation's critical limit, which in this case is 135 degrees F, to prevent the rapid multiplication of microorganisms.

By reheating the soup to 165 degrees F, the chef effectively raised the temperature of the soup past the critical limit, thus reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Serving hot food at the proper temperature is a crucial step in maintaining food safety standards.