Time as a Public Health Control
Using only time rather than time and temperature to control growth of bacteria and to keep food safe. Food is generally held under mechanical temperature control (hot holding units and refrigerators) to ensure safe product and to control bacterial growth in Potentially Hazardous Food/Temperature Control for Safety (PHF/TCS) food. When time is closely monitored, food may be kept without temperature control for a limited amount of time. Within 4-6 hours, there will be limited bacterial growth or toxins produced. Once time is used as a control, food may not be placed back under mechanical temperature control to be saved and used later.
When is time as a control used?
- During cooking when there is a working supply of TCS foods such as shell eggs on a cook’s line.
- When ready to eat TCS food is displayed or held for immediate consumption.
- When the nature of the food requires that it be held outside of temperature control for quality.
- Sushi rice, pizza, egg rolls or rice noodles outside of temperature control.
What are the conditions of using time as control?
- Write procedures in advance and have them available for your inspector to review.
- The food shall have an internal temperature of 135°F or greater or 41°F or less when removed from temperature control.
- The food shall be marked or identified when the food was removed from temperature control or when it must be discarded
- Cook, serve or discard food within the maximum time marked on the container once removed from temperature control:
- Hot food (135°F or above) can be held up to 4 hours after it is removed from temperature control.
- Cold food (41°F or below) can be held up to 4 hours after it is removed from temperature control if the temperature is not monitored.
- Cold food (41°F or below) can be held up to 6 hours after it is removed from temperature control if the temperature is monitored and never rises above 70°F.
- Once TPHC begins, do not return food to temperature control. Discard food in unmarked or improperly marked containers.
Written procedures must include the following:
1. List specific food(s) that will be held using time as a public health control.
2. Describe how the container will be marked to show when food will be cooked, served, or discarded within four or six hours.
3. Foods can be marked with the time that they were removed from temperature control OR the time by which the food must be served or discarded. The written procedures must explain which method is used.
Additional Guidance:
The guidelines for Time as a Public Health Control are outlined in 3-501.19 in the Oregon Food Sanitation Rule (OAR 333-150), on page 39. OAR 333-150 can be found at the following link:
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/HEALTHYENVIRONMENTS/FOODSAFETY/Documents/foodsanitationrulesweb.pdf