Why does the Food Code allow live shellfish, shell eggs, and milk to be received at 45°F rather than 41°F like other cold TCS foods?
a.Because live molluscan shellfish, shell eggs, and milk are exempt from TCS classification (non-potentially hazardous), so the Food Code sets no receiving temperature for any of the three
b.Because 45°F is the Food Code's general receiving limit for cold TCS food, and the 41°F figure applies once the food has been moved into cold storage in the kitchen
c.These three items are shipped under constant mechanical refrigeration, so the receiver only has to read the air temperature in the truck and never probes the product
d.These items have specific Code allowances reflecting how they are safely shipped, with follow-up requirements (e.g., cooling milk to 41°F within 4 hours)
Explanation
The Food Code grants narrow 45°F receiving allowances to live molluscan shellfish, shell eggs (ambient air), and milk, reflecting how those three are safely shipped, and pairs them with follow-up controls such as cooling milk to 41°F within 4 hours. All three are still TCS foods. 45°F is not the general cold-receiving rule — 41°F is, at receiving and in storage alike. And the receiver must probe the product, not just read the truck: a refrigerated trailer proves nothing about what the product actually reached.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §3-202.11Practice all 500 questions free — no signup required.
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