What is the recommended cooling sequence and timing for hot foods from 135°F to 41°F or below?

• A. Cool from 135°F to 41°F within 6 hours.
• B. Cool from 135°F to 70°F within 3 hours, then to 41°F within 3 hours.
• C. Cool from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then from 70°F to 41°F within the next 4 hours (total 6 hours).
• D. Cool from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then from 70°F to 50°F within the next 2 hours.

Answer: (C)

Cooling hot foods safely relies on a two-step process that minimizes the time the food spends in the danger zone. Bring hot food from 135°F down to 70°F within 2 hours. Then continue cooling from 70°F to 41°F or below within the next 4 hours, for a total of 6 hours. This approach quickly reduces bacterial growth risk first by hitting the 70°F mark, then finishes cooling to a safe storage temperature by 6 hours total.

Other paths miss one of these critical time targets: either they don’t reach 70°F within the 2-hour window, or they don’t finish cooling to 41°F within the overall 6-hour limit, or they stop at a higher temperature like 50°F. To achieve this in practice, use shallow, wide containers, divide food into smaller portions, place the containers in an ice-water bath or use rapid cooling methods, and stir to speed up cooling.