Restaurant cooling log: the 2-stage rule

What is the 2-stage cooling rule?

Section 3-501.14 of the FDA Food Code 2022 sets the limits:

• Stage 1: from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours.
• Stage 2: from 135°F to 41°F or less within a total of 6 hours.
• Ambient-temperature ingredients (reconstituted foods, canned tuna and similar): to 41°F or less within 4 hours (§3-501.14(B)).

The clock starts when the food drops to 135°F, not when you take it off the heat. The 6-hour total includes stage 1, so if stage 1 takes 1.5 hours, you have 4.5 hours left for stage 2.

What should a cooling log record?

Each line of the log should capture: the food and batch, the cooling method (ice bath, shallow pans, blast chiller, ice wand), the start time at 135°F, the temperature and time at the 2-hour check, the time 41°F was reached, whether each stage met the limit, any corrective action, and the initials of the person checking. Many kitchens also record a 1-hour reading: if the food is not well on its way to 70°F by then, there's still time to change methods.

What if food misses a cooling stage?

The Food Code tells you the limits but leaves corrective actions to your plan. The common practice used in many HACCP plans:

• Not at 70°F within 2 hours: reheat to 165°F and restart cooling, or discard. Check what your jurisdiction expects.
• Not at 41°F within 6 hours total: discard.
• Then fix the cause: smaller batches, shallower pans (2 inches or less is a common target), ice baths with stirring, ice wands, a blast chiller, leaving pans uncovered until cold.

Which cooling methods actually work?

1. Divide it. Portion large batches into shallow pans or smaller containers.
2. Ice bath and stir. Fill the sink with ice and water around the pot; stir every 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Ice wands or paddles for stocks and soups.
4. Add ice as an ingredient where the recipe allows: make concentrated stock and finish with ice.
5. Blast chiller if you have one; standard walk-ins aren't designed to pull heat out of a 5-gallon pot.
6. Leave it uncovered (protected from overhead contamination) until it reaches 41°F.

How do I read a cooling log at a glance?

A batch passes only if both checks pass: 70°F or below no more than 2 hours after it hit 135°F, and 41°F or below no more than 6 hours after it hit 135°F. If a batch is still cooling, the useful number for the cook is how much time is left in the current stage. The cooling CCP in plans from the builder uses exactly these rules, so your log and your plan say the same thing.

Where do I get the cooling log?

The cooling log is included in the Plan Pack as CSV, Word and print-ready HTML, alongside temperature, receiving, cleaning and corrective action logs. The temperature log is free. Start the builder to see your plan.