Question

select the correct answer. mai has been trying to cool beef broth to 70°f (21°c) for two - and - a - half hours. what should she do next? a. she should cool the broth to 70°f (21°c) in the next one hour. b. she should reheat the broth and start the cooling process again. c. she should use a microwave oven to quickly warm the broth and cool it again. d. she should try to cool the broth to 41°f (5°c) or lower in three - and - a - half hours. e. she should use an ice paddle with an ice - water bath to cool the beef broth faster.

Explanation:

In food safety, the time - temperature control for cooling food requires that food should be cooled from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours and then to 41°F or lower within an additional 4 hours (total 6 hours for the cooling process from 135°F to 41°F or lower). Mai has been cooling the beef broth to 70°F in 2.5 hours, which is more than the 2 - hour limit for the first stage of cooling (from 135°F to 70°F). To correct this, she needs to use methods to cool the broth faster. Using an ice paddle with an ice - water bath is an appropriate method to accelerate the cooling process. Option A is incorrect because she has already exceeded the 2 - hour limit for cooling to 70°F. Option B is incorrect as reheating and then cooling again is not a standard or efficient way to correct the cooling time violation. Option C is incorrect because warming the broth and then cooling again will only waste time and is not in line with food safety cooling principles. Option D is incorrect as she has already taken 2.5 hours to cool to 70°F, and trying to cool to 41°F or lower in 3.5 hours (after already taking 2.5 hours) would mean the total time from 135°F to 41°F or lower would be more than the allowed 6 hours.

Answer:

E. She should use an ice paddle with an ice - water bath to cool the beef broth faster.