[Sca-cooks] Long do meat pasties keep?

[Robert Downie]

The time isn't a hard and fast rule.  It's dependant upon the temperature and
type of food in question. Potentially hazardous foods include: meats
(beef/pork, fish & shellfish, poultry eggs, and cooked vegetables and cereals.
So, if you're worried about someone with a weakened immune system eating these
meatpies and possibly getting sick, I'd err on the side of caution and maybe
only go one hour - maybe 2.  Just be very scupulous about your food prep to
begin with and you'll cut down on the possible amount of bacteria (ie,
sterilised work surfaces and utensils, washed hands, etc).

In the danger zone - 4*C (40 F) to 60*C (140 F) bacteria multiply every 20
minutes under ideal conditions.  They prefer warm (as in room temperature),
moist conditions, neutral ph, some oxygen to grow.  Therefor, a higher acid
food could be kept out longer than a low acid one, like meat.

For commercial/institutional purposes, foods should be either held hot (over
60*C or 1340 F) OR held cold and quickly reheated to a minimum internal
temperature of 74*C or 165 F).  This is where your stem probe thermometer comes
in handy.

Guess who got to take her Food Handler's Certificate recently?
Faerisa

>
> Isn't there a standard rule of x hours in the so-called danger zone? I
> keep thinking it's 4 hours total.
>
> -- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa   jenne at fiedlerfamily.net