Yes Chefo — Kitchen Safety Quick Reference

⚠ The Temperature Danger Zone Bacteria multiply rapidly between 8°C and 63°C — keep food out of this range as much as possible

🌡 Core Temperatures

Food

Min. Core Temp

Notes

Chicken & poultry

75°C

No pink flesh, clear juices

Minced meat / burgers

75°C

Throughout — not just surface

Pork

75°C

Resting time counts

Beef (whole joint)

55–60°C

Medium / medium-rare acceptable

Fish

63°C

Flesh should flake and be opaque

Reheated food

75°C

Must reach 75°C throughout — once only

Hot holding

63°C+

Check every 2 hours minimum

Cold holding / fridge

1–4°C

Never above 8°C

Freezer

-18°C

Check temperature daily

❄️ Cooling Procedures

Cool Quickly

▶Room temp to below 8°C within 90 minutes

▶Use shallow trays — no deeper than 5cm

▶Ice baths for stocks and sauces

▶Blast chill where possible

Labelling & Dating

▶Label everything: product name + date made

▶Cooked food: use within 3 days

▶FIFO — First In, First Out, always

▶Never refreeze thawed food

❌ Cross Contamination

Colour Chopping Boards

■ Red — Raw meat

■ Yellow — Raw poultry

■ Blue — Raw fish

■ Green — Fruit & veg

■ White — Bread & dairy

■ Purple — Allergen use

Fridge Storage Order

▶Top shelf: cooked & ready-to-eat food

▶Middle shelf: dairy, eggs, desserts

▶Bottom shelf: raw meat & fish (covered)

▶Raw and cooked food always separated

⚠ The 14 Major Allergens

🥛

Milk

Dairy, butter

🥚

Eggs

Mayo, pasta

🌾

Gluten

Wheat, rye, barley

🦐

Crustaceans

Prawns, crab

🐟

Fish

Anchovy, sauces

🥜

Peanuts

Oils, sauces

🌰

Tree Nuts

Almonds, cashews

🫘

Soya

Tofu, soy sauce

🌱

Celery

Stocks, soups

🌿

Mustard

Dressings, sauces

🫙

Sesame

Oils, bread

🍷

Sulphites

Wine, dried fruit

🐚

Molluscs

Oysters, mussels

🌻

Lupin

Flour, bread

✅ Service Reminders

Probe & Temperature

▶Probe and sanitise between every use

▶Check hot holding every 2 hours

▶Log fridge temps morning & evening

▶Probe inserted to thickest part

Personal Hygiene

▶Wash hands minimum 20 seconds

▶After raw meat, toilet, breaks

▶No jewellery except plain band

▶Report illness to supervisor

Cleaning

▶Clean as you go — always

▶Sanitise surfaces after raw meat

▶Clean & sanitise — two steps

▶Follow cleaning schedule daily