State Food Safety Practice Exam

If a pan of mashed potatoes is cooled from 135°F (57°C) to 68°F (20°C) in two hours, how much time is left to cool them to 41°F (5°C)?

1. One hour

2. Two hours

3. Four hours

4. Six hours

The correct answer is: Four hours

The goal when cooling food is to move it through the temperature danger zone (between 135°F and 41°F) as quickly as possible to minimize the risk of bacterial growth. The initial cooling from 135°F to 68°F was achieved in two hours, which aligns with food safety guidelines that recommend cooling food from 135°F to 70°F within two hours. To continue cooling from 68°F to 41°F, the food must drop another 27°F. According to food safety practices, it is recommended that this part of the cooling process be completed in an additional four hours. Therefore, if the mashed potatoes have already spent two hours cooling to 68°F, they would have four hours left to cool down to the safe temperature of 41°F. This approach adheres to safety standards which prevent foodborne illness by ensuring that food passes through the critical temperatures quickly. In this case, achieving the final cooling to 41°F within the remaining four hours ensures compliance with those standards, thereby confirming the choice indicating that there are four hours left to cool the mashed potatoes to the desired temperature.