Concept · under Time and temperature
Hot and cold holding on the line
Hold hot food at 135°F (57°C) or above and cold food at 41°F (5°C) or below. Holding is the stretch between done and served, and your whole job during it is keeping food out of the gap between those two numbers.
- ExamPFH
- Questions here6
- UpdatedOct 14, 2026
On this page 4 sections
Hot side, cold side
marks a row where the two differ.
| Point | Hot holding | Cold holding |
|---|---|---|
| The limit≠ | 135°F or above | 41°F or below |
| Typical gear≠ | Steam table, soup well, hot box, heated cabinet | Walk-in, reach-in, cold rail, ice bed |
| How food goes in≠ | Already at 135°F or above. Leftovers are reheated to 165°F first. | Already at 41°F or below. Hot food is cooled first. |
| The code's exception≠ | Roasts cooked under the roast chart may hold at 130°F | Raw shell eggs: equipment at 45°F air or less (3-501.16(B)). Prepared TCS (time/temperature control for safety) food: none, 41°F is the line |
| When it doesn't apply | During prep, cooking and cooling, or under a written time limit | During prep, cooking and cooling, or under a written time limit |
What 135 covers, and what it doesn't
On this page 135°F is the holding line. Cooking and reheating mostly run higher (internal cooking temperatures), with two 135°F exceptions: plant foods cooked for hot holding, and factory-packaged ready-to-eat food reheated for it. Leftovers you cooked and cooled yourself go back up to 165°F. A pan of mashed potatoes reheated to 165°F can then sit at 140°F through lunch and stay in compliance.
On the cold side the line is 41°F, the same number the danger zone starts at. It applies to anything that's TCS food: sliced deli turkey in a reach-in, a pint of cut fruit in a grab-and-go case, a hotel pan of cooked pasta for tonight's special.
The holding rule steps aside at set times: while food is being prepped, cooked or cooled, and when the kitchen runs it under time as a public health control (FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.16). Prep means the food is being worked on, so a tray of raw burgers parked by the grill for an hour is a hard sell as prep.
A unit that drifts out of range is a call for the PIC (person in charge). What happens to the food depends on how far it drifted and for how long, which is the whole reason holding temperatures get probed and written down through a shift. The rest of the topic sits under time and temperature.
Hot side or cold side?
Both sides, mixed. Answer, then read the note under every option.
Each question is a chit, an order ticket. Answer it and it flips to show why every option is right or wrong.
No. 01
What is the minimum hot holding temperature for cooked foods?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 01
- A
155°F (68°C) 155°F is a cooking temperature for ground meat; holding there is fine, but it isn't the minimum.
- B
145°F (63°C) 145°F is for cooking whole cuts; hot holding can be lower.
- C
125°F (52°C) 125°F is inside the danger zone, so food held there can grow bacteria.
- D
135°F (57°C) Correct: Hot food is held at 135°F or above, which keeps it out of the 41–135°F danger zone.
- A
No. 02
How often should food temperatures be checked in hot holding units?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 02
- A
Every 8 hours Eight hours is longer than the 4 hours food can safely spend out of temperature control.
- B
Every 12 hours Twelve hours between checks could leave food in the danger zone for most of a shift.
- C
Once per day Once a day can't catch a unit that fails during service.
- D
Every 4 hours Correct: Checking at least every 4 hours catches food that slipped below 135°F while it can still be reheated; many kitchens check every 2 hours for extra margin.
- A
No. 03
What should be done if the refrigeration unit temperature rises above 41°F?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 03
- A
Wait an hour, then recheck the unit display An hour of waiting lets food warm further, and the display shows air temperature, not the food's.
- B
Discard all food in the unit immediately Food still at 41°F or below may be fine, so check it before throwing it out.
- C
Check food temperatures and relocate if necessary Correct: Probe the food itself, move it to a working unit if it is still safe, discard what has been out of control too long, and report the unit.
- D
Keep using it and mention it next week Ignoring a warm cooler leaves food in the danger zone and can make guests sick.
- A
No. 04
How should prepared pizza toppings be stored during service?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 04
- A
In warm areas near the oven to stay soft Heat from the oven pushes toppings into the danger zone.
- B
Uncovered on the prep line for speed Uncovered toppings catch splashes and debris on a busy line.
- C
In covered containers in refrigerated prep unit Correct: Toppings like meats and cut tomatoes are TCS food, so they stay covered at 41°F or below in the refrigerated rail.
- D
At room temperature in a covered tub A lid doesn't stop growth; TCS toppings at room temperature are in the danger zone.
- A
No. 05
The dial on a steam table reads 150°F, but the chili in it probes at 128°F. Which reading counts for the 135°F hot-holding rule?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 05
- A
The steam table dial, since it's above 135°F The dial shows the unit's air or water, not the food; food can sit below 135°F in a unit that reads hot.
- B
The chili's own temperature from the probe Correct: Hot-holding limits apply to the food itself, so a probe reading of 128°F means the chili is below 135°F and needs action now.
- C
The average of the two readings Averaging hides the problem; only the food's internal temperature counts.
- D
Neither, as long as the chili is steaming Steam rising off food says nothing about its internal temperature; probe it with a thermometer.
- A
No. 06
A server is stocking the salad bar with cut lettuce and sliced eggs. What is the highest temperature this cold TCS food may be held at?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 06
- A
41°F (5°C) Correct: cold TCS food must stay at 41°F (5°C) or lower.
- B
45°F (7°C) 45°F comes from old state codes and is above the current Food Code limit.
- C
50°F (10°C) 50°F is well inside the danger zone, where bacteria grow fast.
- D
35°F (2°C) 35°F is safe, but it is not the highest temperature the rule allows.
- A
Nothing matches both filters. Clear one of them.
Holding, start to end of shift
- Load the hot side at 135°F or above. Reheats hit 165°F before they go in.
- Load the cold side at 41°F or below. Hot leftovers go through two-stage cooling first, never straight into a packed reach-in.
- Probe on a schedule and write down the time and the temperature.
- Tell the person in charge the moment a unit reads out of range.
- Roasts cooked to the roast chart are the one hot item allowed down to 130°F.