Quantitative data analysis to determine best food cooling practices in U.S. restaurants

Area of Science:

• Food Safety
• Environmental Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Improper cooling practices are a significant contributor to foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified over 500 such outbreaks between 1998 and 2008.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess current food cooling practices in restaurants.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of these practices against established food safety guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Data collected by CDC's Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) in approximately 50 restaurants.
• Measured food temperatures to estimate cooling rates.
• Analyzed cooling methods, food types, and influencing factors like monitoring and depth.

Main Results:

• 65% of cooling observations met the Food Code guideline (41°F/5°C in 6 hours).
• Large cuts of meat and stews cooled slowest; pasta and noodles cooled fastest.
• Foods not actively monitored, stored too deep (>7.6 cm), or unventilated cooled significantly slower.

Conclusions:

• Best cooling practices, including active monitoring and appropriate storage depth, are crucial for safe food handling.
• Assessing specific cooling practices can be a valuable alternative for inspectors.
• Further research is needed to validate estimation methods and the impact of specific practices.