I always believe that taking care of food is very important just like we do skin care. But it is quite easy if you know the characteristics of the food. Like, how to store it, cleaning and preventing bacteria etc. You may know my love towards cooking and finding time for new recipes since I left my corporate job and started business. My sister may dump all things I make fun of her, but in learning the fine details of food safety, she may get a doctorate degree.
That’s why today, I am stealing her better parts of the brain for this blog. Because I have learned about the TCS foods from her, I will quote some of my experiences too.
What Are TCS Foods?
You may have heard this abbreviation sometimes. When I heard this alphabet first, I thought it was an organization short form or something. But actually, TCS stands for Time/Temperature Control for Safety. This means, some foods have to be handled in a particular way to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and toxins. Simply TCS food is a type of food that has chances to affect bacteria very fastly if we do not do proper care. If you love to cook fresh food like me, just read this miniature encyclopedia about TCS foods.
Why Can TCS Foods Be Dangerous?
When my mom comes from the market after shopping for kitchen needs, she will do two things. The very first thing is rushing to store some foods in a particular way and second thing is abandoning other items to set later. You see, certain foods are more sensitive to bacterial growth. If they are left out too long or kept at the wrong temperature, then it will say bye bye forever.
This is something you never want to do by mistake. Even though I have a series of cooking flops episodes, food safety is never compromised. TCS food can become very dangerous because bacteria multiply rapidly in the danger zone 41°F and 135°F. If not stored or handled correctly, they could cause foodborne illness. Severe food poison may lead to death sometimes. So this is not silly.
What Foods Are TCS Foods?
Like I said above, all foods are not TCS foods. I wondered when I was child about why some ood needs to be refrigerated immediately while others don’t. The products like dairy products, cooked vegetables and meats are TCS food that should need proper care. Now you may get an idea about why mom rushed to save some foods in the fridge just after she left the market.
What Are Regular 15 TCS Foods?
Here’s a quick list of 15 regular TCS foods you might already have in your fridge or kitchen:
- Milk and dairy products – The products like-butter, cheese, and other dairy items should be refrigerated quickly to prevent bacterial growth.
- Eggs – Eggs are the best example for TCS foods. It has potential for growing bacteria inside the shell.
- Meat (beef, pork, lamb) – The meat may be raw or cooked. It must be refrigerated to avoid harmful bacteria.
- Poultry (chicken, turkey) – Chicken and turkey can be the storehouse of bacteria, so they need careful storage and cooking.
- Fish – Fish can fastly spoil in one or two hours if not kept at safe temperatures, making it a TCS food.
- Shellfish – Like fish, shellfish must be stored properly to avoid bacterial contamination. It have more chances than the fish.
- Cooked rice – Cooked rice can easily grow bacteria if not cooled and stored promptly. But the fermented rice can use for other purposes than eating.
- Cooked potatoes – Cooked potatoes can easily develop bacteria like botulism in anaerobic conditions. This can cause severe food poison conditions.
- Tofu – The Tofu needs refrigeration because it can support bacterial growth in warm environments.
- Sliced melons – Cut melons or certain fruits are prone to bacterial growth due to their high water content.
- Sprouts – Once I forgot to put the sprouts in the fridge. Raw sprouts can accommodate so much bacteria like E. coli and salmonella, making them a TCS food.
- Baked potatoes – just like the cooked potatoes, baked potatoes are not safe. Especially when wrapped in foil, bacteria can develop if left out.
- Cooked beans – Cooked beans should need proper storage to avoid bacterial contamination.
- Cream-based pastries – Pastries that have top ingredients of dairy products with cream fillings must be refrigerated to prevent bacterial growth.
- Sliced tomatoes – Sliced tomatoes, once cut, will be the best place for bacteria due to their moisture.
These are just a few examples, but they show how common TCS foods are in everyday cooking.
What Factors Determine if a Food is TCS?
If you don’t have enough knowledge like my sister in this field, you might wonder which foods are TCS. This can vary as per the pH level, moisture content and whether the food is cooked or not. For example, you can keep the tomatoes out of your fridge for three more days. But can I do the same for tomato curry? Definitely not, this makes the difference between the TCS foods and others.
What Foods Are NOT Usually TCS Foods?
There are also type of foods that don’t need temperature control or safety. Main examples for this is, dry fruits, uncooked pasta, bread, whole fruits and canned goods. This can be kept without any temperature settlements and efforts. Some foods should follow proper temperature guide lines for cooking as well as storing. Just like this, the temperature level for cooking tuna salad is above 41°F .
General Guidelines for TCS Foods
If you are handling such types of foods, the main key is to keep them out of the temperature danger zone. The first and best method is to refrigerate or freeze the food items in the perfect way. Keeping it cold, the chances to cause bacteria ill be very less. It may feel strict, but these small and smart steps will keep your food more fresh and safe.
Besides this, you should know about the temperature zones for this type of food.
What is the Temperature Danger Zone?
This may feel like more technical, but the only thing you have to remember is the danger zone for TCS food is temperatures between 5°C and 57.2°C where bacteria can thrive. The food can be left out in this temperature zone and became very unsafe to eat.
Sometimes, our climate will be perfect to keep TCS foods. Especially in winter time, food will be perfect without proper care. But other times, you can’t expect good. Finding this temperature difference will be hard for you. So you can use my simple hack like depending on a thermometer to find the temperature.
Where Must You Store TCS Foods?
Like I said above, refrigerators and freezers will be the perfect option for this. Keeping the food ideally at 41°F (5°C) or lower will be perfect for it. If you want to travel with TCS foods, then use containers that are insulated, cold or hot packs. I have my thermo flask to carry the cow milk to make tea on trips. There are so many insulated vessels and flasks to keep your food safe.
At What Minimum Temperature Should Hot TCS Food Be Held?
My cousin faced a worst situation once. I just went to attend a close circle birthday party of my cousin’s daughter and the party started too late. But all food items were set early and the time we started having it, we felt a taste difference. This is because of the bacteria affected in food that held too long. Somehow we all managed it.
If you are planning something like this or any buffet, then try to use things like chafing dishes, steam tables, or any other equipment that can hold hot. Because most of the TCS foods are slow cookers, reheating can’t be an option.
What is the Ideal Cold Holding Temperature for TCS Foods?
Like I told you to use chafing dishes, there are some types of food that can’t be kept in heat. Mostly there are cold foods or dairy products. In this case, for cold TCS foods, the goal is to keep them at 41°F or lower.
I always follow this rule just after preparing fruit salads or cold desserts. I store it in the fridge immediately or else you can use the ice baths or other cold-holding equipment.
What Should Be Done When Cooling TCS Foods?
If you are planning to cool your TCS food, then you should be more alert. If you are keeping the cooked food, you should wait to cool down the food from 135°F (57°C) to 70°F (21°C). This can take two hours mostly at normal temperature. Spreading the food in large and shallow containers will help this step to go faster. Then between temperature 21°C to 5°C within an additional four hours using a refrigerator or other cooling equipment.
I usually try to stir the food frequently to cool down if it is in liquid state. Otherwise I divide those into small portions to cool down quickly.
How TCS Food Cooked in a Microwave Should Be Handled
Not only keeping or storing TCS food is important, but also the cooking part should need some extra care. The very first thing is that food must be heated to at least 165°F. Then, remember to stir the food to make sure all the food is evenly cooked.
If you are planning to microwave, then be patient to heat all properly and then you can have it.
How Long Can TCS Food Be Held?
TCS foods shouldn’t be held at room temperature for more than four hours. But it can slightly vary according to your climate, food preparation methods, and food nature. If you’re at a party or hosting guests, you should keep an eye on how long food has been sitting out. otherwise you may face the same issue that I faced at the party. Nowadays, I’m a little notorious for keeping a timer just to be safe!
