What should you do if time or temperature criteria fail for hot-held items?

• A. Discard or reheat per policy when time or temperature criteria fail.
• B. Keep working as if nothing happened.
• C. Move the item to a different station.
• D. Replenish the line with new items only.

Answer: (A)

Maintaining hot-held foods at safe temperatures and within the allowed holding time is essential to prevent bacterial growth. When the time or temperature criteria aren’t met, the safest course is to discard the item or reheat it to a safe temperature according to Cane’s/RPS procedures. Discarding removes a safety risk entirely, while reheating brings the item back into a safe range (typically to 165°F/74°C and then holding it at the proper hot temperature, verifying with a thermometer). After reheating, the item should be held again at the required hot temperature and checked regularly.

Continuing to serve or moving the item without addressing the failure can lead to unsafe food reaching customers, and simply replenishing with new items doesn’t fix the safety issue with the item that already failed.