The operator of a food establishment shall ensure that

1. (1) upon receipt, free of evidence of previous temperature abuse when received at the food establishment and

   1. (A) for food that is refrigerated, received at 41° F or below, except as specified in 18 AAC 31.810(c)(1)(C) or otherwise specified in this chapter;
   2. (B) for food that has been cooked to a temperature and for a time specified in 18 AAC 31.232 and that is received hot, received at 135° F or above;
   3. (C) for raw eggs, received in refrigerated equipment that maintains an ambient air temperature of 45° F or below; or
   4. (D) for food that is labeled frozen and shipped frozen by a food processing establishment, received frozen; and

2. (2) thawed

   1. (A) in a refrigeration unit;

   2. (B) while completely submerged under running potable water at 70° F or below with sufficient water velocity to agitate and float off loose particles in an overflow until thawed and then is immediately cooked or refrigerated and for a period of time that does not allow thawed portions of

      1. (i) ready-to-eat food to rise above 41° F; or
      2. (ii) raw animal food requiring cooking, as specified in 18 AAC 31.232, to be above 41° F for more than four hours including the time the food is exposed to the running water and the time needed for preparation for cooking;
   3. (C) in a microwave oven and immediately transferred to conventional cooking equipment with no interruption in the process; or
   4. (D) as part of a cooking process if the food that is frozen is cooked, as specified in 18 AAC 31.232.

(Eff. 5/18/97, Register 142; am/readopt 12/19/99, Register 152; am 6/28/2001, Register 158; am 12/28/2006, Register 180)

Authority: AS 17.20.005, AS 17.20.072, AS 17.20.290, AS 17.20.020, AS 17.20.180, AS 44.46.020