The record of a batch
Five steps, from the raw meat to the last slice: cure, cook, cool, hold and done. Batch Log offers the cook once the cure has ended and the cooling once the cook is recorded; a batch can be marked finished at any step.
1Receive and cure
The raw brisket or navel is received and cured, in brine or dry, under refrigeration. Curing in a food establishment needs a variance and a HACCP plan; meat bought already cured from an inspected plant skips this step.
Curing and the variance
2Cook
Whole meat roasts, including beef and corned beef, are cooked in an oven held at the temperature for the roast's weight and to an internal temperature held for the time in the roast table: 130°F for 112 minutes up to 158°F instantly; the time may include the post-oven rise (3-401.11(B)). Under 10 lb: still dry 350°F or more, convection 325°F or more; 10 lb or more: 250°F or more; high humidity 250°F or less (3-401.11(B)(1)).
Check a cook
3Cool in two stages
Cooked food is cooled from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, and from 135°F to 41°F or less within a total of 6 hours (3-501.14(A)). Shallow pans, smaller or thinner portions, rapid cooling equipment and other effective methods; containers loosely covered or uncovered if protected (3-501.15).
Work out the cooling deadlines
4Hold, date marked, reheated when needed
Cold holding: At 41°F or less (3-501.16(A)(2)). Hot holding: At 135°F or above; roasts cooked or reheated by the roast table may be held at 130°F or above (3-501.16(A)(1)). Ready-to-eat food made on site and held cold for more than 24 hours is marked with the day it must be used, sold or discarded: at most 7 days at 41°F or less, the day of preparation counting as day 1 (3-501.17(A)). Reheating for hot holding: To at least 165°F for 15 seconds, rapidly: no more than 2 hours between 41°F and 165°F. Remaining unsliced portions of a roast cooked by the roast table may be reheated with the same oven and time-temperature conditions (3-403.11).
Holding and reheating
5Used up or discarded
Food is discarded when it passes its 7 days (time it is frozen does not count), has no date mark, or carries a date beyond them (3-501.18).
All the rules
A record and a set of timers
A record and a set of timers. It does not inspect food, approve a HACCP plan or replace the judgement of the person in charge.
Sources: FDA Food Code 2013 (adopted in Massachusetts by 105 CMR 590.000); 105 CMR 590.000, Minimum Sanitation Standards for Food Establishments (Cornell LII copy).
