Temperature is one of the strongest tools you have. Cold slows the growth of bacteria; strong heat kills them. In between, bacteria grow well.
The cold chain
Regulation (EC) 852/2004 (Annex II, Chapter IX) says that the cold chain must not be interrupted for food that has to be kept at controlled temperature. Short periods outside the fridge are possible if needed for preparation, transport, storage, display or serving, as long as there is no risk to health.
So: take out only what you need, put it back in the fridge straight away, and do not leave perishable food on the counter "for a while".
Reference temperatures
For many foods there is no single figure valid for everyone. Limits depend on the product, on the law and on your self-control plan. Here are the values most often used in Italy, including by the health authorities. Many come from Article 31 of DPR 327/1980, which Legislative Decree 27/2021 has largely repealed: today they are mainly a reference, not a single limit valid for everything.
- Fresh, highly perishable foods (for example fresh dairy products, creams, products with custard, deli preparations): generally up to +4 °C (reference: Article 31 of DPR 327/1980). Other products, such as fresh red meat, have different limits in Regulation (EC) 853/2004.
- Frozen foods: −18 °C or lower, with brief rises of up to 3 °C tolerated in transport and in retail display cabinets (Legislative Decree 110/1992, Article 4: this one is law).
- Cooked food to be kept hot: +60 to +65 °C (same reference).
- Cooked food to be eaten cold (for example roasts): up to +10 °C in the same reference.
Always check what your self-control plan says for your premises and for each product. Measure with a clean, working thermometer. Record temperatures when the plan asks for it.
The fridge and the freezer
- Do not overfill: cold air must circulate.
- Raw at the bottom, ready-to-eat and cooked food above.
- Food covered or in closed containers, with a label and date.
- Open the door as little as possible; check the thermometer every day.
- Clean and defrost according to the plan.
- Do not refreeze food that has already been thawed.
Cooling cooked food
If you prepare ahead, cooked food must be cooled as quickly as possible (Regulation 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter IX), then put in the fridge. Divide it into small portions and shallow containers; a blast chiller is the ideal tool. Do not leave the hot pot to cool for hours at room temperature.
Thawing
Thawing must keep microbial growth and toxin formation to a minimum. Safe ways are:
- in the fridge, well in advance;
- in a microwave oven, if you then cook straight away;
- straight into cooking, when the product allows it.
Do not thaw on the counter at room temperature. Throw away the liquid that drips out, because it may contain bacteria.
Cooking
Cook until the core of the product has reached the temperature set by your plan. With a probe thermometer you check the coldest point. Many plans use values around +75 °C at the core, but what counts is the one in yours. Reheat food that is already cooked evenly and quickly.
Use-by date and best-before date
The label carries two kinds of date (Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, Article 24):
- "Use by" ("Da consumarsi entro"): for highly perishable foods. After this date the food is considered unsafe and is neither sold nor used.
- "Best before" ("Da consumarsi preferibilmente entro", the minimum durability date): after the date the food may lose quality but, if stored well, is often not dangerous.
Stock rotation
Use the FIFO method ("first in, first out"): put the oldest products at the front. Write the opening or preparation date on anything you transfer to other containers.
Remember
- Do not interrupt the cold chain.
- Cool cooked food quickly and thaw in the fridge.
- After the "use by" date the food is not used.
- Follow the limits of your self-control plan and really measure.