Technical reference
The is growth, not survival. Cooking destroys but not , which can germinate as food passes slowly through the . is judged by time in that range.
can grow from 10 °C to 52 °C and from 4 °C to 55 °C. The of both survive cooking and are activated by it (; FDA Table A-1).
Slow of large volumes gives warm, low-oxygen conditions that suit . In the , over 10⁵ of either organism is . Reprocessing is not an option, because toxin may have formed.
Parameters
| Hazard | germinating, multiplying and forming toxins |
|---|---|
| Codex catering pattern | Centre from 60 °C to 10 °C in under 2 h, then to 4 °C; never over 4 h between 60 and 10 °C |
| Food Standards Code 3.2.2 cl. 7 | 60 °C to 21 °C within 2 h, then 21 °C to 5 °C within a further 4 h, unless another process is shown to be safe |
| Operating models | Readings per stage; readings per batch on named equipment; method |
| Missed first stage | Correct the method and re-read. Under a two-stage legal , a missed first stage needs a process you've shown to be safe, or discard |
| Missed end limit | Discard and record |
| Cook-chill shelf life | rules alone don't give shelf life. The cook, chill, storage temperature and pack have to be together: see the below |
Records that prove it
- Item, batch and method
- Start time and start reading
- Each stage reading with its real time
- Action on each late stage
- Discard, with quantity
- Who verified it, and when
Cooling passes through these growth ranges
Extreme reported in the literature, with other conditions favourable. They may not apply to your food or process. Source: , Table A-1.
Maximum cumulative exposure
FDA guidance written for fish and fishery products, shown here as a worked example of how combine. * See the source's footnotes. Source: , Table A-2.
Reference temperatures
Values from , a code for mass catering. Your own law or plan may set different ones.
CCP or prerequisite?
That depends on the for your process. The number, if it has one, belongs to your plan.
Law and practice
| Control | Australia | New Zealand | Singapore | Malaysia | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooling | 60 to 21 °C in 2 hours, then to 5 °C in 4 more, unless shown safe (3.2.2 cl 7(3)). | 60 to 21 °C in under 2 hours, then to 5 °C in under 4 more. | Below 5 °C within 4 hours of cooking (SFA guideline). | As soon as possible; no time set (reg 36). | Two families. Most Australian plans use the 2 and 4 hour stages. Certified hotel plans often use about 4 hours in total, with an earlier check at 90 minutes or 2 hours. Blast often has its own , such as 75 to 5 °C in under 2 hours. |
Law as read in the authority library between 14 October and 4 November 2026. In practice: food safety programmes read across hotels, clubs, venues, healthcare, manufacturing and airline catering, with no business named. A common practice isn't proof that a is safe or lawful where you are.
Cook-chill: cook, chill, store, shelf life
| Profile | Cook | Chill | Store | Shelf life | What it rests on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-stage , no extended life | Cooked to your plan's | 60 to 21 °C in 2 hours, then to 5 °C in 4 more | 5 °C or colder | Set by your plan | cl 7(3). This controls growth during and gives no shelf life by itself. |
| Blast , common in practice | Often from 75 °C | 75 to 5 °C in under 2 hours | 5 °C or colder | Set by your plan | Practice across hotels, venues and production kitchens. It meets the Code's outcome faster. |
| Short shelf life, 5 days or less | 75 °C at the core, instantly, or equivalent | To 3 °C or colder within 150 minutes | 3 °C or colder | Up to 5 days, counting the days of production and service | Irish guidance for hospitals, institutions and caterers (FSAI Guidance Note 15). Reheat to 70 °C or hotter. |
| Short shelf life, up to 10 days | 70 °C for 2 minutes, 75 °C, or equivalent: a reduction | Code ; rapid chilling to 5 °C or colder | 5 °C or colder | Up to 10 days, counting production and consumption. Over 5 days needs evidence | NSW guidelines for vulnerable persons (July 2026); Appendix 3. |
| Extended shelf life, over 10 days | 90 °C for 10 minutes or equivalent: a reduction of non-proteolytic C. botulinum. Equivalents: 85 °C for 36 minutes, 80 °C for 130 minutes | To 5 °C or colder within 90 minutes may be required | ; 3 °C or colder may be needed | As | NSW guidelines; Appendix 3; Campden BRI. NSW also asks for aseptic packing. Campden also accepts below 5.0, below 0.97, 3.5% aqueous salt, or a shown combination. |
| Extended-life hospital | 82 °C at the core | To 3 °C within 2 hours | 3 °C or colder | Up to 28 days, only on the kitchen's own | A seen in healthcare cook-chill. It gives strong assurance: 82 °C needs about 3 seconds for 6 logs. Non-proteolytic C. botulinum needs about 78 minutes at 82 °C, so past 10 days this profile doesn't rest on the heat step alone. It needs cold storage at 3 °C or colder, where non-proteolytic C. botulinum doesn't grow, plus packing and end-of-life evidence, accepted by your regulator or auditor. |
Examples only, not a recipe. Heat kills what it reaches, and the shelf life then depends on the chill, the storage temperature, recontamination, the pack and the food itself. your own process, and take expert advice for extended life. Reheat once, to 70 °C for 2 minutes or equivalent under the NSW guideline, and discard leftovers. Use a use-by date.
| Core temperature | 6-log Listeria monocytogenes | 6-log non-proteolytic C. botulinum |
|---|---|---|
| 70 °C | About 2 min | Not in the table read |
| 75 °C | 26 s | About 466 min |
| 80 °C | 6 s | About 130 min |
| 82 °C | 3 s | About 78 min |
| 85 °C | 1 s | About 36 min |
| 90 °C | Not in the table read | About 10 min |
From the NSW guideline's Appendix 3 (July 2026). The food must hold this temperature for this time at its coldest point.