Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC)

Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC): 

Food Code 3-501.19, allows the use of TIME instead of TEMPERATURE to store Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) Foods, for a specific time period of 4 hours maximum. 

Examples include: pizza, calzones, sushi rice, hollandaise sauce, raw shelled eggs, cut fruits & vegetables, food on buffet lines, and waffle or crepe batter. 

Food establishments serving Highly Susceptible Populations (HSP) CANNOT use TPHC for raw eggs. 

However, if food establishments plan on utilizing TPHC they MUST have written procedures, on site and available at all times, for the food inspector to review upon request. Procedures and logs will be checked at each routine inspection. 

TPHC

TPHC Log: 

/DocumentCenter/View/15831

TPHC Guidelines

Four (4) Hours

Hot & Cold Foods:

  1. Initial temperature of foods shall be 135F or greater or 41F or less. 
  2. Food is marked or labeled to indicate the time in which food was either placed at room temperature or when it has hit the 4 hour mark and must be removed from room temperature. 
  3. Food is used or served within 4 hours and then must be discarded.
  4. Food in unmarked containers or food past the 4 hour time period shall be discarded by the food establishment. 

WRITTEN PROCEDURE EXAMPLE - TIME AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CONTROL


Example Kitchen, 000 Main St., Reading, MA 01867

Prepared by Manager, Owner, Food Consultant, etc. 


Food(s): Cheese Pizza 

Procedure: make cheese pizza, take temperature of cheese pizza, and ensure that it is 135F or above. Place pizza on a tray, place label on outside of the tray, and mark the 4-hour time. Store tray of cheese pizza at room temperature in display case next to POS counter. If cheese pizza is not used up by the 4-hour time mark, throw the rest of the cheese pizza away in the trash barrel. If time was never recorded, product will be discarded upon discovery. 


*Side Note: Each establishment MUST keep a log recording the time that the item was placed at room temperature and the time that the item was discarded from room temperature. These logs will be asked for during routine inspections. *