1. Cold Holding Secrets of the
National Chains
ThermoWorks “Winning at Food Safety” Webinar Series
Special Guest Brian Nummer
Jan 20, 2022

2. Dr. Brian Nummer, PhD
Food-safety.guru
Extension Food Safety Professor
Utah State University
• Extension Food Safety Specialist and Professor, Utah State University
• Subject matter expert in food microbiology and the US FDA Food Code, GFSI (ISO
22000), HACCP, FSMA, Sanitation, and employee behavior regarding Food Safety
• Over 100 publications, including peer-reviewed publications,
book chapters, abstracts, fact sheets and newsletter articles
• Serves as a U.S. process authority and HACCP coordinator for
the state of Utah
• Worked with some of the largest food and food service
companies including Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Outback
Restaurants, and many more
• Active in the Conference for Food Protection, International
Association for Food Protection, Institute for Food
Technologists, Association of Food and Drug Officials, National
Environmental Health Association, and more

3. Food Code Top 5 Major Risk Factors
“Epidemiological outbreak data repeatedly identify five major risk
factors related to employee behaviors and preparation practices in
retail and food service establishments as contributing to foodborne
illness:
1. “Improper holding temperatures
2. “Inadequate cooking, such as undercooking raw shell eggs
3. “Contaminated equipment
4. “Food from unsafe sources
5. “Poor personal hygiene”
http://lcdph.org/sites/default/files/RBF%20Inspections%20Intro.pdf

4. #1 Food Safety Risk - Improper Holding Temps
https://wayback.archiveit.org/7993/20170406022956/https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodborneIllnessRiskFactorReduction/ucm230313.htm

5. Defining the Danger Zone
USDA:
“Leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria
(such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia
coli O157:H7, and Campylobacter) to grow to dangerous levels that can
cause foodborne illness. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of
temperatures between 40°F and 140°F.”
FDA Food Code:
41°F – 135°F

6. What Happens to Food within the
Danger Zone?
Bc Bacillus cereus | S Salmonella | Lm Listeria monocytogenes | Cp Clostridium perfringens | Cj Campylobacter jejuni
G
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o
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7. Common Questions/Worries About
Cold Holding
Q: How do I know my
refrigerators are maintaining
proper temps? Can I trust the
display on my fridge?
A: No
Q: How will I know if my cold
holding fails?
A: You won’t without
constant monitoring

8. #1 Secret from the Top National Chains
Automate cold holding temperature
recording! Saves time, money, and
dramatically lowers food safety risk – for
a minimal investment and easy set up.

9. Common Questions About Data Loggers
• Q: How complicated is the setup of a data logger?
• A: Not complicated
• Q: Do I measure cooler ambient air or something else?
• A: Measure the food itself or a food simulator
• Q: Q: Do I have to take manual temperatures even if I have a
datalogger?
• A: No (in most cases)
• Q: What do I do if I get a temperature danger alert?
• A: Investigate the failure ASAP and take mitigating action…

10. Common Questions About
Data Loggers, cont.
• Q: Will I lose everything in the cooler if it warms up above 41°F?
• A: Without a datalogger – Yes
• A: With a datalogger using HACCP – Maybe not (monitor temps + under 4 hrs.)

11. Benefits of Using a Data Logger
Save time, labor cost.
Save $15,000 per location
(4 times per day, 4 fridges)
for a $300 investment
Get immediate
notifications, take quick
action before you lose the
contents of the entire
cooler.
Store data electronically for
quick recall during health
Inspections.
Take accurate readings
without pencil whipping
and falsifying data.

12. Typical Installation – Video

13. Data Logger Tips
Insert probe into glycol
bottle to remove any temp
spikes due to opening and
closing doors.
Select the appropriate probe
for what you’re measuring.
Use blunt tip probes for cook
chill bags, folded over to get
the best readings.

14. Data Logger Types –
Which One Do I Need?
ThermaData WiFi
Restaurant
Walk-in Kit
ThermaData® WiFi
Ambient Temp
Logger
ThermaData® WiFi
Temp Data Loggers
(1 or 2 Probes)
ThermaData® WiFi
Temperature &
Humidity Logger
20% Off All Data Loggers This Week

15. ThermoWorks Cloud Walk-in
Monitoring from Anywhere

16. ThermoWorks Cloud Demo

17. Next Session:
Thursday, March 3rd, 10:00-10:30am MST
• Temperature Measurement in Special Processes
• Dr. Brian Nummer, PhD, demonstrates HACCP for curing, yogurt, brewing, and more…
This Session:
• Replay of this session going out by email
• Go to www.thermoworks.com/webinar-series
• Share with colleagues and friends
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