Pizza Stores

River City Smokehouse said:

I cannot count the pizza I've eaten in the past 30+ years that has sat out over night in the box on the kitchen table. Not counting the warm stale beer the was still half full sitting next to that. Oh yeah, and the roach in the ash tray......I'll stop there!:biggrin:

Click to expand...

Hell yeah, cold pizza and warm beer, the breakfast of champions.

MilitantSquatter said:

I guess that two hour rule makes sense along with the fact that it's not proveable unless the inspector is checking without being noticed over several hours.

I just got back from one of the local spots where I took my daughter for lunch this afternoon.

... I counted 18 different styles of pizzas (all whole pies) in the display window. Since yesterday was a holiday, I think most were made fresh this morning. I'm sure a good % of them will still be there only partially sold before they close tonight around 10-11 PM and some of them will be back tomorrow.

For the record, we stuck with the plain pizza that was still hot.

Click to expand...

The best pizza here in Madison is served like this as well. A display case with 6-10 pies sitting there and you just pick what you want. They always throw it back in the overn for a few minutes and it always comes out hot and delicious.

I love cold pizza with some hot pepper flakes in the AM with my coffee. The only think that I do not like about individually sliced pizza in the stores is that the cheese does not seem to melt right. Don't have to worry about that with cold pizza

MAsQue said:

People have been storing food for thousands of years without benefit of modern refrigeration. The same methods of preparing food that worked then should still work now: smoking, drying, pickling, etc. We know more; we can be safer; we don't have to be nuts about it.

Click to expand...

I tend to agree, but....with the misuse of antibiotics many organisms have become stronger. I come close to blowing a gasket every time some relative mentions that they have saved some antibiotics for when they 'need them'.

I've seen several pizza places do this, and even delievered pizza for one that did the same. No strict rules from what I see (esp. not where I worked) more of a loose idea of "it's not fresh so it won't taste good".

Jorge said:

I tend to agree, but....with the misuse of antibiotics many organisms have become stronger. I come close to blowing a gasket every time some relative mentions that they have saved some antibiotics for when they 'need them'.

Click to expand...

Yea, I've got a neighbor that saved hers from broncitis.... She is still hacking up a lung....

Keeping kids ultra-germ free can negatively impact their resistance. According to National Geographic, the best way to avoid developing allergies is to grow up living with a pig in your house.

At a recent hotel stay I woke up the next morning and had a few slices of meat lovers pizza that had spent the night in the box on the table. I did pause for thought for a brief second before eating it. I think most pizza meat is so salty that it is almost cured... pepperoni and what passes for sausage.

At least that's the story I'm going with... eating cold unrefridgerated pizza is kind of like the 3-second rule... probably a bad idea but adults have been getting away with it for years.

ams14 said:

At least that's the story I'm going with... eating cold unrefridgerated pizza is kind of like the 3-second rule... probably a bad idea but adults have been getting away with it for years.

Click to expand...

I can remember covering a pie with lots of jalapenos on top with foil overnight. The next morning I found lots of little holes where the peppers and burned holes in the foil. Somehow it made me feel better about eating it.

ams14 said:

Keeping kids ultra-germ free can negatively impact their resistance. According to National Geographic, the best way to avoid developing allergies is to grow up living with a pig in your house.

At a recent hotel stay I woke up the next morning and had a few slices of meat lovers pizza that had spent the night in the box on the table. I did pause for thought for a brief second before eating it. I think most pizza meat is so salty that it is almost cured... pepperoni and what passes for sausage.

At least that's the story I'm going with... eating cold unrefridgerated pizza is kind of like the 3-second rule... probably a bad idea but adults have been getting away with it for years.

Click to expand...

My kids would love a pig around the house, but i think it would only really only last about a day until i set my butcher table & some cutting implements, & burn down some coals for the pit....

afreemaniii said:

Hell yeah, cold pizza and warm beer, the breakfast of champions.

Click to expand...

Quoted for truth........

Just my two cents worth, but having worked in a pizzeria in HS I'll throw it out there anyways. Most of the toppings on the pizza, cheese included have so many preservatives in them, that nothing can grow on them. The sauce has a PH level that also doesn't allow anything to grow in it. ( this is why most pizza stores are allowed to leave it on the counter unrefrigerated). That only leaves the "fresh" vegetables and the dough. The vegetables will be ok for a day or so, and the dough is no different than the bread you buy at the store. I have seen some things take place and thought no way that is safe to eat, but nobody got sick.

Chris

I've heard that pizza, due to the resilience of its ingredients, is subject to less strict food laws... so sayeth the grape vine. As the previous poster has mentioned... bread does not spoil for many days (around a week) and the rest of the ingredients are laden with salt...

To be honest though... most pizza will dry out to an unacceptably low level once left out for more than one night.

dodgeramsst2003 said:

Most of the toppings on the pizza, cheese included have so many preservatives in them, that nothing can grow on them.

Click to expand...

Same goes with fast food french fries. You can still eat McDonald's french fries, unrefrigerated, a year later...

Speculation!!!! On all points. No food is subject to lesser food laws.

parrothead said:

Speculation!!!! On all points. No food is subject to lesser food laws.

Click to expand...

Thank you. Nail hit on head.

Regardless of what side you take in the whole "germs are good/bad" debate the question posed was how are pizza shops allowed to let food stand out at room temp for multiple hours.

Ingredients have nothing to do with it, either way what you are talking about is a cooked, prepared food product that is heated and then held at the temperature where bacteria growth begins, according to all our friendly local HDs.

If I'm catering and an HD inspector comes over, sees that I have two trays of pork just hanging out with no refrigeration I'm done. Doesn't matter what my excuse is: "Oh, it's only been sitting there an hour it's fine." Yeah right. Try that at your next event.

So is there a good answer? I had never thought of this before but now it seems to me to be very much the exception to the rule.

My thought now is: why go to all the trouble and cost as a vendor to hold BBQ at the required temps at all times when I can just roll in and serve day old pizza off a card table?

Well, I found the answer. And I guess Parrothead that some food is subject to lesser food laws. Whoda thunk?

Now, this is for New York state, but it is derived from Federal law.

Health Code
§81.09 currently specifies a range of required holding temperatures for all potentially hazardous
foods. However, there are several processed foods, including, most commonly, sushi rice,
homemade (i.e., not commercially manufactured) yogurt and garlic-infused oil, hanging poultry
in Asian establishments, cooked pizza and related baked products (calzones), for which food
service establishments have requested that the Department modify applicable Health Code
temperature holding requirements, since such temperature requirements apparently adversely
affect the palatability of such foods.

The USFDA 2001​

​

​

​

Using time alone as a public health control means that when properly documented and
implemented, RTE PHF may be offered for sale after being held at room temperature for up to
four hours. All such foods must be properly cooked or cooled before they are held for such a
four-hour period.
​

Each RTE PHF item must be clearly labeled with the date and time that identify when the food is removed from safe temperatures. RTE PHF that is maintained by using time, as a public health control must be served or discarded within four hours of removal from safe temperatures. No RTE PHF that is held using time as a public health control is to be reused.

Here is the part that would apply to BBQ vendors and their limits on being able to use the Time Holding method only:
​

(2) Time shall not be used as a means of public health control in preparation and holding
of ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods (i) sold by mobile food vendors; (ii) in food vending machines; (iii) at temporary street fairs operating in accordance with a permit issued pursuant to Article 88 of this Code; and (iv) in salad bars. (3) Time shall not be used as a means of public health control in preparation and holding of the following potentially hazardous foods: (i) any foods containing ground or chopped (comminuted) meats; (ii) raw foods such as meats, fish or molluscan shellfish; and (iii) opened or packaged smoked or vacuum-packed food products.​