There are four main controls that should be used in food preparation: cooking, cooling, reheating, and food storage.
1. Cooking: Cook food to the proper temperature to kill bacteria and other contaminants. Use a food thermometer to check temperatures. The USDA recommends cooking beef, pork, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops to 145° F; ground meats to 160° F; poultry breasts to 165° F; poultry thighs and wings to 175° F; fish fillets or steaks to 145° F; shrimp, lobster, and scallops to 145° F; clams, oysters & mussels until their shells open during cooking.
2. Cooling: Bacteria can grow rapidly on hot foods if they are not cooled quickly enough. To cool food safely: for large amounts of food – place it in shallow pans (no deeper than 2 inches) in the refrigerator or freezer; for small amounts of food – place it in ice water baths then refrigerate or freeze it; do not leave cooked food out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F).
3. Reheating: Reheat leftover foods thoroughly until they reach 165°F as measured with a food thermometer. When microwaving leftovers - cover them with a lid or plastic wrap & rotate them so they heat evenly throughout - then let stand covered for 2 minutes after cooking so the heat can distribute evenly before eating.
4. Food Storage: Store perishable foods in the refrigerator at 40 °F or below or in the freezer at 0 °F or below - this will keep most bacteria from multiplying & prevent spoilage.