Rev.9911
17
APPENDIX A. – Temperature Guidelines
1.0 Hot cases are tested to maintain all hot food at 140
°
- 150
°
.
These cases are not designed to heat up or cook food. It is the
user’s responsibility to stock the hot food cases immediately after
the cooking of the food with a pulp temperature of at least 150
°
to 160
°
.
All griddle type units are designed to maintain
termperatures above the FDA guideline of 140
°
F.
This is product temperature, not air or griddle
temperature. Due to the open design of these units,
they must be loaded with product for proper opera-
tion. When units are empty, they experience rapid
rise of heated air from air outside the case. This
action gives empty units a false, lower than desired,
temperature reading. Loading the case traps the air
at the griddle, raising temperatures to the 165
°
F to
185
°
F range, keeping product well above the FDA
guidelines. Remember, these units must be loaded
with product to maintain safe product tempera
APPENDIX B. – Application Recommendations
1.0 The installer should perform a complete start-up evaluation prior to the
loading of food into the hot food case, which includes such items as:
a) Initial temperature performance, Griddles and Hot Wells.
b) Observation of outside influences such as drafts, radiant heating
from the ceiling and from lamps. Such influence should be
properly corrected or compensated for.
c) Complete start-up procedures should include :
1. Heat / display lamps are lighting
2. Indicator lamps on control panel(s) are working
3. Auto-fill is functioning properly (Service cases)
4. Hot Griddles are functioning.
APPENDIX C. – Field Recommendations -
1.0 The most consistent indicator of display hot case performance is
temperature of the product itself.
NOTE
: Public Health will use the temperature of the product in
determining if the hot case will be allowed to display potentially
hazardous food. For the purpose of this evaluation, product
temperature above the FDA Food Code 1993 temperature for
potentially hazardous food will be the first indication that an evaluation
should be performed. It is expected that all hot cases will keep food
at the FDA Food Code 1993 temperature to prevent the sale of
potentially hazardous food.
1.1 The following recommendations are made for the purpose of
arriving at easily taken and understood data which, coupled with
other observations, may be used to determined whether a display
refrigerator is working as intended:
a) INSTRUMENT – A stainless steel stem-type thermometer is
recommended and it should have a dial a minimum of 1 inch
internal diameter. A test thermometer scaled only in Celsius or
dually scaled in Celsius and Fahrenheit shall be accurate to
1
°
C (1.8
°
F). Temperature measuring devices that are scaled
only in Fahrenheit shall be accurate to 2
°
F. The thermometer
should be checked for proper calibration. (It should read 32
°
F
when the stem is immersed in an ice water bath).
b) LOCATION – The thermometer must be inserted into the food
itself to acquire proper food pulp temperature.
c) READING – The thermometer reading should be made only
after it has been allowed to stabilize, i.e., maintain a constant
reading.
Loading Product: Cases should be allowed to heat up for one
hour before product is loaded.
Temperature adjustments: Allow 4 hours after adjustment has
been made before testing pulp temperature of product.
d) OTHER OBSERVATIONS – Other observations should be made
which may indicate operating problems, such as unsatisfactory
product, feel/appearance.
APPENDIX D. – Recommendations to user -
1.0 The manufacturer should provide instructions and recommendations
for proper periodic cleaning. The user will be responsible for such
cleaning, including the cleaning of equipment within the compart-
ment and the hot area(s). Cleaning practices, particularly with respect
to proper refrigerator unloading and warm-up, must be in
accordance with applicable recommendations.
1. Allow the case to preheat for one hour prior to loading.
2. Hot foods should enter the case directly after cooking or no
lower than 150
°
- 160
°
F. The Hot Cases are not designed to
heat up or cook food.
3. Self Service - be sure to display product in single layer in
direct contact with heating surface.
4.
All griddle type units are designed to maintain
termperatures above the FDA guideline of 140
°
F.
This is product temperature, not air or griddle
temperature. Due to the open design of these
units, they must be loaded with product for
proper operation. When units are empty, they
experience rapid rise of heated air from air
outside the case. This action gives empty units a
false, lower than desired, temperature reading.
Loading the case traps the air at the griddle,
raising temperatures to the 165
°
F to 185
°
F range,
keeping product well above the FDA guidelines.
Remember, these units must be loaded with
product to maintain safe product temperature.
5. Check the food pulp temperature frequently with a thermom-
eter to make sure it is at the proper holding temperature. Hot
foods should be at 140
°
. The thermometer must be inserted
into the food itself for the proper temperature.
Appendices
