A kitchen finishes a batch of beef chili at 3:00 p.m. and begins cooling it. By what time must the chili reach 70°F to stay within the first cooling stage?
a.9:00 p.m., because the entire cooling window is a full 6 hours
b.7:00 p.m., because the first cooling stage is allowed 4 hours
c.5:00 p.m., because cooked food must drop from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours
d.4:00 p.m., because the first cooling stage is capped at 1 hour
Explanation
The first cooling stage requires food to drop from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, so the clock for the chili runs from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. This stage is the most critical because bacteria grow fastest in the upper part of the danger zone. The 6-hour figure is the total cooling window from 135°F to 41°F, not the first-stage deadline the stem asks about; the 4 hours belong to the second stage, from 70°F to 41°F; and the Code sets no 1-hour first stage.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §3-501.14Practice all 500 questions free — no signup required.
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