• Holding food below 54.
5°C for no more than
High Risk Foods 6 hours
Potentially hazardous foods includes: • Checking water and or food temperatures
• Raw and cooked meat, or foods containing using a calibrated tip-sensitive digital
meat such as casseroles, curries and lasagne thermometer accurate to 0.1°C
• Dairy products such as milk, custard, dairy- • Not storing prepared food for extended
based desserts periods of time
• Seafood • Not cooking large portions of meat for
• Processed or cut fruits and vegetables extended times at low temperatures
• Cooked rice and pasta Raw and Uncooked Hamburger Patties
• Foods containing eggs, beans, nuts or other
protein rich food such as quiche and soy Raw and undercooked hamburger patties are likely to
products contain harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne
• Foods that contain any of the above foods illness such as pathogenic strains of [Link]. In the USA,
including sandwiches and rolls. it has been common practice for some time to serve
undercooked hamburgers and this has resulted in a
While care should be taken when handling all number of outbreaks of [Link]. In Australia, it is still
potentially hazardous foods, there are some foods or an emerging trend.
cooking methods that are considered particularly
‘risky’. Food businesses must follow the NSW Food Minced meat used in hamburger patties must be
Authority’s guidelines and recommendations for carefully cooked throughout to destroy bacteria.
handling these high risk foods. With minced meat, the process of mincing makes the
meat more vulnerable to bacteria. The outside ends
Sous Vide Food up on the inside and bacteria is spread throughout
‘Sous vide’ is French the mince. Whereas a steak remains relatively intact
for ‘under vacuum’. It and the bacteria remain on the outside (if stored
means cooking food under temperature control) therefore only the
under vacuum, in outside surface needs to be thoroughly cooked. This
sealed pouches at is why you can have a rare steak and still be safe!!
precise and sometimes Thorough cooking of hamburger patties and minced
low temperature. meat can avoid food poisoning.
There are potential risks in with Sou Vide: Sushi and Sashimi
• Food held in the temperature danger zone Ready to eat sushi is
for extended period of time is at risk of regarded as potentially
bacterial growth hazardous food. Therefore it
• Food in refrigeration for an extended time is must be stored and
at risk of cold-tolerant bacteria displayed at 5°C or less or
• Food cooked at low temperatures for short the food businesses can demonstrate the use of the 2
periods of time will essentially remain raw Hour / 4 hour Rule. However, there is an exemption
and disease causing bacteria and parasites which allows food businesses to display sushi at
may survive. temperatures greater than 5°C for no more than 4
hours, provided that they comply with the following:
Reduce risks by:
• Preparing thinner portions so heating and • Proper acidification of the rice (to a pH of
cooling are rapid less than or equal to 4.6) takes place to
• Using water bath temperature at least 55°C inhibit growth of food poisoning bacteria.
so bacterial growth is prevented The pH must be recorded;
• Implement a system for monitoring the More information:
length of time sushi can be displayed at
Refer to NSW Food Authority’s website:
greater than 5°C.
[Link]
• Sushi is never displayed at temperatures
above 25°C. Alternatively, contact Council and ask to speak to the
Environmental Health Officer.
This exemption is based on scientific testing
conducted by NSW Food Authority. The food
business must comply with all three requirements
above to meet the exemption. If all three cannot be
met, then the business must store sushi under
temperature control or comply with the 2hr / 4hr
rule.
Raw Eggs Products
This includes food products
that include raw eggs with no
further pathogen reducing
step (i.e. cooking):
• Sauces and spreads
such as mayonnaise,
aioli, hollandaise and egg butter;
• Desserts made without a cooking step, such
as cheesecake, tiramisu and mouse;
• Lighting cooked foods, such as custard, fried
ice-cream, some ice-cream and gelato made
on the premises; and
• Drinks such as eggnog and egg flip.
Raw eggs products can cause Salmonella food
poisoning. Extra precautions need to be taken by
food businesses to prevent food poisoning outbreaks
of Salmonella.
To avoid food poisoning, businesses can:
• Avoid raw eggs by using commercially made
sauces and dressings;
• Use alternatives to raw eggs (such as
pasteurised eggs);
• Acidifying raw egg products to reduce
bacterial growth.
Refer to NSW Food Authority’s Food Safety Guideline
for the Preparation of Raw Egg Products:
[Link]
of-raw-egg-products