Yes we know Chicago gets cold. But that doesn’t mean your restaurant‘s refrigeration doesn’t need to be watched like a hawk. The refrigeration temperatures at which foods are stored can affect a foods taste, appearance, nutrient content and most important…safety. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set the maximum refrigerator temperature at 41 Degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature is the maximum for the actual product being refrigerated. Do not confuse this with air temperature. A restaurant’s air temperature may fluctuate, and in Chicago that may be hot or cold, but the product temperature must remain at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. The rule of thumb is the colder the food product, the longer it will last. That makes 38 Degrees a more optimum temperature. A restaurant’s refrigeration unit set at 38 Degrees might come on at 38 Degrees and shut off at 35 Degrees. For food temperatures that require a below 35 Degrees … [Read more...]
