HACCP Critical Limits Chart: Food Code Temperatures and Times

A critical limits chart puts the numbers your HACCP plan depends on in one place: cooking temperatures, cooling times, holding temperatures, reheating rules and the other values that separate safe food from unsafe food. For US restaurants, nearly all of these numbers come from the FDA Food Code 2022, which most states adopt with some changes. This page gives you the chart with section numbers, explains how to use each limit in a plan, and covers the cases where the Food Code does not give you a number.

Check the edition your state uses before you copy anything into a plan, and remember the plan is a draft for your health department to review.

What a critical limit is

The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF HACCP guidelines) defines a critical limit as a maximum or minimum value to which a biological, chemical or physical parameter must be controlled at a critical control point to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level.

Good critical limits are:

• Measurable right at the step, usually with a thermometer, a clock, a pH meter or a scale.
• Specific, such as "165°F" rather than "fully cooked."
• Backed by a source, which for restaurants is usually the Food Code section.
• Tied to a hazard. Each limit controls something you identified in the hazard analysis.

Limits are different from operating limits. An operating limit is a tighter target you aim for so you have a margin, for example cooking chicken to 170°F so that you never fall below 165°F. You record against the critical limit and adjust when you drift toward it.

The critical limits chart

Cooking (3-401.11)

| Food | Critical limit | |---|---| | Poultry, stuffed foods, stuffing containing meat or poultry, wild game | 165°F for under 1 second (instantaneous) | | Ground or comminuted meat, injected or mechanically tenderized meat, ratites, raw eggs not for immediate service | 155°F for 17 seconds, or the equivalents 145°F for 3 minutes, 150°F for 1 minute, or 158°F for under 1 second | | Whole-muscle intact meat, fish, raw eggs broken for immediate service | 145°F for 15 seconds | | Whole roasts (beef, corned beef, lamb, pork, cured pork) | Time and temperature table in 3-401.11(B), for example 130°F for 112 minutes, 135°F for 36 minutes, 145°F for 4 minutes | | Fruits and vegetables cooked for hot holding (3-401.13) | 135°F | | Food cooked in a microwave (3-401.12) | 165°F with stirring or rotating and a 2-minute standing time |

Rare and undercooked items are allowed with a consumer advisory in many cases, but then the cooking step is not controlling the hazard and your plan should say so.

Cooling (3-501.14)

| Situation | Critical limit | |---|---| | Cooked TCS food | 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, and 135°F to 41°F within a total of 6 hours | | TCS food made from ingredients at room temperature, such as canned tuna salad | To 41°F within 4 hours |

If food misses the first stage (70°F at 2 hours), the code allows reheating to 165°F and starting again, or discarding. See food cooling rules and the cooling log.

Holding (3-501.16)

| Situation | Critical limit | |---|---| | Hot holding | 135°F or above | | Roasts cooked under 3-401.11(B) | 130°F or above | | Cold holding | 41°F or below |

See cold holding vs hot holding temperatures.

Reheating (3-403.11)

| Situation | Critical limit | |---|---| | Cooked and cooled TCS food reheated for hot holding | 165°F for 15 seconds, within 2 hours | | Commercially processed ready-to-eat food from an intact package | 135°F | | Food reheated for immediate service | Any temperature (not hot held) | | Unsliced portions of roasts cooked under 3-401.11(B) | Original roasting conditions |

More in reheating food to 165°F.

Date marking (3-501.17)

Ready-to-eat TCS food prepared and held more than 24 hours must be marked and used or discarded within 7 days at 41°F or below, with the day of preparation counted as day 1. See date marking under the Food Code.

Time as a public health control (3-501.19)

| Option | Limit | |---|---| | 4-hour option | Food starts at 41°F or below or 135°F or above, is marked with a discard time 4 hours later, and is served or discarded by then | | 6-hour cold option | Food starts at 41°F or below, does not exceed 70°F, is marked, and is discarded within 6 hours |

A written procedure is required. See time as a public health control.

Receiving (3-202.11)

| Item | Limit | |---|---| | Refrigerated TCS food | 41°F or below, unless another law says otherwise (milk and shellstock have their own rules) | | Raw shell eggs | Received in refrigerated equipment with an ambient temperature of 45°F or below | | Frozen food | Received frozen | | Hot TCS food | 135°F or above |

See the receiving temperature log.

Thawing (3-501.13)

• Under refrigeration at 41°F or below.
• Completely submerged under running water at 70°F or below, with enough flow to float off loose particles.
• As part of cooking.
• In a microwave, if cooking follows immediately.

Parasite destruction for fish served raw (3-402.11)

Fish served raw or undercooked must be frozen and stored at:

• -4°F or below for 168 hours (7 days) in a freezer; or
• -31°F or below until solid and stored at -31°F or below for 15 hours; or
• -31°F or below until solid and stored at -4°F or below for 24 hours.

Some tuna species, molluscan shellfish and certain aquacultured fish are exempt. See the seafood HACCP plan.

Reduced oxygen packaging, cook-chill and sous vide (3-502.12)

| Situation | Limit | |---|---| | ROP with a barrier, held at 41°F | 30 days from packaging | | Cook-chill or sous vide at 41°F | 7 days from packaging | | Cook-chill or sous vide at 34°F (reached within 48 hours of 41°F) | 30 days from packaging | | Packaged food opened within 48 hours | No HACCP plan required if labeled with time and date and held at 41°F | | Fish | Only if frozen before, during and after packaging |

See the ROP HACCP plan and cook-chill HACCP plan.

Shellstock identification (3-203.12)

Keep shellstock tags attached to the container until it is empty, record the date the last shellstock was sold or served, and keep the tags for 90 calendar days.

Limits the Food Code does not set

Some CCPs need limits that you have to find elsewhere:

| Process | Typical parameter | Where limits come from | |---|---|---| | Acidified foods such as pickles or sushi rice held without temperature control | pH | Food Code Annex guidance (sushi rice example uses pH 4.2), process authority | | Cured meats | Nitrite and salt concentration, fermentation pH, water activity | Federal limits on curing agents, published guidance, process authority | | Smoked fish | Salt in water phase, smoking temperature | FDA fish hazards guidance, process authority | | Juice | 5-log pathogen reduction | 21 CFR 120 and validation | | Sous vide below Food Code temperatures | Time and temperature | Pasteurization tables, variance |

If your plan has a step like this, the limit must come with documentation. See HACCP variance requirements.

FSIS consumer temperatures vs Food Code limits

USDA FSIS publishes a safe minimum internal temperature chart for home cooks. It is simple and useful, but it is not the same as the Food Code. For example, FSIS says 145°F with a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb, and 160°F for ground meats. The Food Code allows 155°F for 17 seconds for ground meat in a restaurant. Your health department enforces the Food Code as adopted in your state, so your plan should use those numbers. You can choose stricter limits if you want.

How to write a critical limit in a plan

A complete critical limit entry names the parameter, the value, the duration if any, and the point of measurement:

• Weak: "Cook chicken thoroughly."
• Better: "Chicken internal temperature reaches 165°F."
• Best: "Internal temperature of the thickest part of each batch of chicken breasts reaches 165°F, measured with a calibrated probe thermometer (Food Code 3-401.11(A)(2))."

The best version tells the cook what to measure, where, with what, and why. It also tells the inspector exactly what to look for on your log.

Matching limits to monitoring

Each limit needs a monitoring method that can actually show whether it was met.

| Limit | Monitoring method | Frequency | |---|---|---| | Cook to 165°F | Probe the thickest piece | Every batch | | Cool 135°F to 70°F in 2 h | Probe with times recorded | Start, 2 h, 6 h | | Hot hold 135°F | Probe food in each pan | Every 2 hours (gives time to reheat) | | Cold hold 41°F | Probe food or a product simulant | At open, during service, at close | | pH 4.2 or below | Calibrated pH meter | Each batch | | Freeze -4°F for 7 days | Freezer log and dated labels | Daily |

Checking hot holding every 2 hours instead of 4 is common practice because it leaves room to reheat food that has slipped below 135°F before it has been out of temperature too long. See critical control point examples.

When a limit is not met

A missed limit always triggers a corrective action. Typical ones:

| Missed limit | Typical corrective action | |---|---| | Cooking temperature not reached | Keep cooking until reached | | Cooling stage 1 missed | Reheat to 165°F and restart, or discard | | Cooling stage 2 missed | Discard | | Hot holding below 135°F, under 2 hours | Reheat to 165°F | | Hot holding below 135°F, unknown time | Discard | | Cold holding above 41°F, unknown time | Discard | | Date mark expired | Discard | | pH above limit | Refrigerate and re-acidify, or discard |

The 2-hour rule for hot holding is a common operating practice, not a Food Code number; write your own in the plan. See HACCP corrective actions examples.

Critical limits by process type

The Food Code's process approach, described in its annexes, groups restaurant menu items into three broad processes. Each needs a different set of limits.

Process 1: no cook. Food is received, stored, prepared and served without cooking, such as salads, sandwiches and raw oysters. There is no kill step, so the limits are cold holding at 41°F or below, date marking, receiving temperatures, and in some cases parasite destruction or time control. Hand hygiene and preventing bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food carry most of the weight.

Process 2: same day service. Food is cooked and served the same day, such as grilled steak or a fried chicken sandwich. The cooking temperature is the main critical limit, followed by hot holding at 135°F if the food is held, or time as a public health control.

Process 3: complex. Food is cooked, cooled, stored and reheated, such as soup, chili, braised meats and rice. These need the full set: cooking, cooling, cold holding, date marking and reheating. Cooling is the step most often missed in practice, and it is the one inspectors ask about.

Sorting your menu into these three groups is a fast way to see which limits each dish needs. The HACCP plan for a restaurant page walks through this with examples.

Operating limits and margins

Most kitchens should run with a margin above the critical limit. Reasons:

• Thermometers have tolerances of about plus or minus 2°F.
• Food temperature varies across a batch. The thickest piece is cooler.
• Carryover cooking and cooling continue after you take a reading.

Examples of operating limits some kitchens use:

| Critical limit | Example operating target | |---|---| | Cook poultry to 165°F | Pull at 170°F | | Hot hold at 135°F | Hold at 145°F or above | | Cold hold at 41°F | Set units to 36 to 38°F | | Cool to 70°F in 2 hours | Aim for 70°F in 90 minutes |

When a reading falls between the operating target and the critical limit, adjust the process (turn up the hot well, move food to a colder unit) without discarding. When a reading crosses the critical limit, take the corrective action in the plan.

Validating your limits

Validation asks whether the limit, if met, actually controls the hazard. For limits taken directly from the Food Code, the code is your validation; cite the section. For limits from elsewhere, keep the source:

• A process authority letter for acidified or cured products.
• Published pasteurization tables for sous vide time and temperature combinations.
• Lab results for pH or water activity.
• Manufacturer data for equipment such as blast chillers, showing they can meet cooling limits with your load.

Also check that your equipment can meet the limits in practice. A cooling limit means little if your walk-in cannot bring a full stockpot down in time. Test with real batches and record the results. See HACCP verification and record keeping.

Teaching critical limits to cooks

Limits work only if the people at the stove know them. A short training covering:

• The five numbers every cook needs: 165, 155, 145, 135 and 41.
• The cooling rule: 2 hours to 70°F, 6 hours total to 41°F.
• Where to probe each food.
• What to write on the log and what to do when a reading misses.

Quiz new hires during their first week and again after a month. See HACCP training for restaurant staff.

Using the chart in your kitchen

• Post the relevant limits at each station. Grill station gets the cooking temperatures; the prep area gets cooling and date marking.
• Keep thermometers calibrated. A limit is only as good as the thermometer. See thermometer calibration log.
• Use logs that print the limit next to the reading. A cook who sees "limit 165°F" next to the box is less likely to write 158°F without thinking.
• Review logs daily. A manager should catch out-of-limit readings without corrective actions.

Our restaurant temperature log and free logs print limits on each form.

Common mistakes with critical limits

• Using a single "safe" temperature for everything, such as 145°F for chicken.
• Using home cooking temperatures instead of the Food Code.
• Leaving out time. 155°F for ground beef needs 17 seconds; 145°F for 3 minutes is also acceptable.
• No limit for cooling, the step behind many outbreaks.
• Vague limits like "cold" or "until done."
• Copying limits for processes you do not run. Keep the plan specific to your menu.

Critical limits for food trucks and caterers

Mobile and off-site operations use the same limits, but meeting them is harder. Food trucks often have small refrigerators that struggle on hot days, and caterers hold food in transport for long periods. Plan for this by checking cold units more often, using insulated carriers with verified holding times, and leaning on time as a public health control for service windows. See the food truck HACCP plan and the HACCP plan for catering.

Critical limits for common menu items

| Menu item | CCP | Critical limit | |---|---|---| | Fried chicken | Cooking | 165°F internal | | Burgers | Cooking | 155°F for 17 s (or advisory if cooked to order below) | | Grilled salmon | Cooking | 145°F for 15 s (or advisory) | | Pork chops | Cooking | 145°F for 15 s | | Rice for fried rice | Cooling | 135°F to 70°F in 2 h; to 41°F in 6 h | | Chili for next day | Cooling then reheating | Cooling limits; reheat to 165°F within 2 h | | Salad bar | Cold holding | 41°F or below | | Buffet hot line | Hot holding | 135°F or above | | Sushi rice | Acidification or time control | pH 4.2 or below under variance, or 4-hour TPHC | | Raw tuna for sashimi | Parasite destruction | Exempt species, or freezing limits |

Build your plan with the right limits

The HACCP builder fills in these Food Code 2022 limits with section numbers for each process you choose, and prints logs that show the limit next to each reading. Start with one process free or get every process with the Plan Pack. The HACCP plan template and how to write a HACCP plan explain the other sections. Your finished plan is a draft for the health department to review.

Frequently asked questions

What is a critical limit in HACCP?

NACMCF defines a critical limit as a maximum and/or minimum value to which a biological, chemical or physical parameter must be controlled at a CCP to prevent, eliminate or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

Where do restaurant critical limits come from?

Mostly from the FDA Food Code as adopted by your state, for example sections 3-401.11 for cooking, 3-501.14 for cooling and 3-501.16 for holding. Processes outside the Food Code need limits from scientific sources or a process authority.

Are FSIS consumer temperatures the same as Food Code critical limits?

Not always. USDA FSIS consumer guidance uses simple single temperatures with rest times, such as 145°F with a 3-minute rest for whole cuts. The Food Code uses time and temperature combinations for food establishments. Use the code your health department enforces.

Can I set a stricter critical limit than the Food Code?

Yes. Many kitchens use stricter limits, such as 165°F for all cooked TCS food, to simplify training. You cannot set a looser limit without a variance.