PUNTOITALY N°1 -January - June 2012

ing part of it. On the other hand, cooling below 10°C all the food as soon as it is ready avoids wasting a lot of good food, because in this way its shelf life will be longer than our needs. FREEZE IT, IF YOU WANT Modern chefs know very well that the cold is the most natu- ral system to preserve quality and freshness. For example some particular sauces, such as ragout, can be not only chilled quickly, but also frozen it, without any quality loss. Small portion of ragout in silicon moulders are easy to freeze and at the same time easy to melt, while the pasta is boiling. AND WHAT ABOUT BACTERIA? Below 10°C bacterial activity is strongly reduced because at this temperature the enzymatic activity is so low that it pre- THE ITALIAN MAGAZINE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS IN GELATO, CONFECTIONERY AND TRENDY FOOD-AND-DRINK The easiest way to avoid bacterial proliferation is to bring the temperature below 10°C as soon as possible. Every method is good, but blast chillers are the most convenient. 63 vents any bacterial growth. But this situation is completely re- versed when the temperature is ranging around 40°C. When the food is boiling and hot, there is no problem at all, be- cause bacteria cannot survive above 60-70°C. But after 1 h at kitchen temperature the temperature of 30-50°C is the most probable temperature the food will have reached. In this range the bacteria double their number every 20 mins, and a safe product becomes quickly acid. The acidification is con- sidered a bad thing, because it means that the product is al- ready ruined, but indeed it is a… good thing because it is the signal that oxidation and fermentation have started and it is no longer safe to eat. So the easiest way to avoid bacterial proliferation is to bring the temperature below 10°C as soon as possible, every method is good, but blast chillers are the most convenient. The choice is your, my dear cook. •