What is Proving?
Proving is a way to show your verifier/auditor that when you cook something the same way every time, you always come out with the same safe food result.
Why do we prove?
Cooking food to safe temperatures keeps your customers safe. Temperature checking every single piece of food you make is a big challenge, especially when you have hundreds of meals to get out in a day.
Proving your method shows that if you stick to a consistent cooking method (cooking the menu item the same way each time), you should continue to produce safe food.
By creating a good set of proving records, showing you know how to cook the food item safely, you don’t have to do temperature checks as often - which is very helpful for busy chefs.
Proving in the Chomp Chef app, means you only have to record the item once a week, bringing efficiency to your critical food control temperature checks.
How do I prove?
- Load your menu item as a weekly task in your Chomp management dashboard making sure you have added a detailed method.
- Cook your menu item exactly the same way on three different batches or occasions.
- After the first time you cook your menu item, conduct a temperature check to make sure it has reached the expected safe temperature (the safe temperature could differ depending on the cooking process or food type - Check your FCP rules). This is your first proving check.
- Record this information into your Chomp Chef app
- Repeat this another two times until you have three temperature checks in total (three proving records)
- These results will be in your Audit report in the Chomp Dashboard as proof for when your records get checked by a verifier/auditor.
Here’s an example:
- Your menu has chicken thighs on it
- Your method (recipe) to cook chicken thighs is the same every time you cook it.
- Place 5 kgs of chicken thighs on a tray, evenly spacing thighs
- Set oven temperature to 180°C
- Bake for 25 minutes
- Remove the batch from the oven and probe one chicken thigh at the centre of the tray in the thickest part of the thigh
- Ensure that the temperature of the probe reads 75°C or above and holds at this temperature for a minimum of 30 seconds
How long does it take to get my three proving records?
If you cook the menu item often, you may be able to get your three provings done in a short period of time. For example, if you cook lots of beef patties for burgers in a day, you could get your three proving tests done in one day
If you only cook the menu item once every three days, it might take you up to 10 days to complete your three proving tests.
What if one of my temperature checks fails?
If any of your three checks fails, it shows that your method does not work. You must redesign your method until you achieve three consecutive successful checks.
Why do I test weekly after I have my three proving records?
Your weekly check makes sure that your method still works to achieve a safe temperature
What type of menu items or cooking methods can be proven?
- Chicken, livers and processed meat
- Sous Vide
- Cooling Hot Food
- Reheating
- Hot Smoking Food
- Acidified Food
- Sushi Rice pH