TCS food, what is that?

As defined by the FDA Food Code, Time/temperature control for safety foods (TCS) are

An animal FOOD that is raw or heat-treated; a plant FOOD that is heat-treated or consists of raw seed sprouts, cut melons, cut leafy greens, cut tomatoes or mixtures of cut tomatoes that are not modified in a way so that they are unable to support pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation, or garlic-in-oil mixtures that are not modified in a way so that they are unable to support pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation

Water activity and pH can exempt some items from this definition. Part of mitigating risk in the establishment is to ensure TCS foods are held outside the temperature danger zone (41F-135F), cooked or reheated to the required temperatures, and cooled quickly to eliminate or minimize pathogen growth.

Here are some links to more information provided by ServSafe:

• Temperature Danger Zone

• Cooking Temperatures

• Proper Cooling

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