International Food Safety Council September 1999 * National Food Safety Education MonthSM Food Safety Training for Retail Food Establishments "Cook It Safely - It's a Matter of Degrees" Training Session

SM

Week 2: Types of Thermometers & Their Uses

In this activity, you will review the different types of temperature measuring devices. Employees will determine which device is appropriate for each product or situation you name.

• Begin the discussion by explaining that there are different types of devices to measure the temperature of foods.

  Types of Thermometers Liquid Filled: Glass thermometers filled with spirits or mercury - NEVER used in a restaurant or foodservice establishment. The glass and inner liquid pose physical hazards. Bi-Metallic Stemmed: Most commonly used thermometer. Made of two different metals that expand when heated to give an accurate temperature when calibrated appropriately. Thermisters: These use a thermister to measure temperature. Sensing area in the tip makes it useful for measuring the temperature of thin foods. Thermocouple or Digital: Registers temperatures relatively fast and can measure the temperature of thin foods easily. Most have interchangeable probes so that they can be used for a variety of foods or situations. Deep Fry or Candy: Measures high temperatures, such as deep fryers. NEVER use any other type of thermometer to measure the temperature of hot oil. Refrigerator/Freezer (Hanging): Meant to be hung from shelves in refrigerators or freezers to measure air temperature. Also used to verify the accuracy of the embedded thermometers set into refrigerators or freezers. Oven Thermometers (Hanging): Similar to hanging refrigerator or freezer thermometers, but also able to register high temperatures. Meant to be hung from oven racks to measure air temperature. Also verifies that the oven is reaching the proper set temperature. Equipment Embedded: “Set into” equipment such as refrigerators or hot holding units to measure the equipment’s temperature. Temperature readings from these thermometers should never be used to identify the internal temperature of a product. T-Stick Disposable: Single-use thermometers which change color when exposed to pre-determined temperatures shown on stick. Time Temperature Indicators (TTIs): Designed to monitor and register accumulated temperature exposure over time to verify safe conditions during storage or transport. Usually affixed to the product at the point of distribution and are read by the restaurant or foodservice establishment during receiving.

  • All product thermometers must be accurate to within +/-2°F (+/-1°C).

  • All equipment thermometers must be accurate to within +/-3°F (+/-2°C).

• After the discussion, display a number of food items. Describe a number of different cooking situations, and ask your employees to indicate which thermometer would be appropriate to use and why. Food items you may want to use could be a whole chicken in the oven, fryer oil, thin hamburgers cooking on a grill, or thick chili in a large stock pot.

• To finish the session, have your employees complete the Word Scramble!

Week 2 Reference: ServSafe® Coursebook

• Chapter 5
  Choosing The Right Thermometers – Page 5-18 Copyright© 1999 by The Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association

 
^TM/SM International Food Safety Council
* Distributed August 1999 for use in September 1999 as part of the International Food Safety Council's National Food Safety Education Month.

National Food Safety Education MonthSM is sponsored by the International Food Safety Council, a restaurant and foodservice industry coalition committed to food safety education, formed by the National Restaurant Association's Educational Foundation. For more information about enrolling in the Council free of charge, call 800/456-0111.