A cook drops frozen breaded chicken tenders directly into the fryer without thawing them first. What should the manager tell the cook?
a.This is a violation unless the tenders were thawed in the microwave first, because breaded frozen products are not covered by the cooking-process method
b.This is acceptable because thawing as part of the cooking process is an approved method, as long as the tenders reach the required internal temperature
c.This is a violation, because frozen food has to be thawed in the walk-in cooler at 41°F or lower before it goes in the fryer
d.This is acceptable only if the fryer oil is held above 165°F for the entire cook time, with the oil temperature logged for each batch
Explanation
Cooking food from its frozen state is one of the four approved thawing methods, so no separate thawing step is required and no product category is excluded. The control is the internal temperature of the tenders, which must reach 165°F for <1 second (instantaneous) for poultry — not the temperature of the fryer oil, and not a prior pass through the microwave.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §3-501.13Practice all 500 questions free — no signup required.
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