Stabilization and Cooling for Meat and Poultry: Using FSIS Appendix B
Cool cooked product fast enough to hold Clostridium perfringens growth to 1 log, and prove it lot by lot.
In Short
- Match product to the option.
- Probe the slowest-cooling piece.
- People decide on deviations.
The Sausage and Meat Products Guide
Cold raw lots. Checked process. Traceable packs.
- USDA FSIS, EU hygiene rules and Canada
- Raw lots, cold storage and recipes
- Cook, chill and missed limits
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The Sausage and Meat Products Guide
Cold raw lots. Checked process. Traceable packs.
Spores of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium botulinum survive cooking and can grow as product cools through the warm range. FSIS's Stabilization Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B, December 2021) gives cooling and hot-holding options that plants can use as scientific support. This guide covers the main options, deviations and records. It is orientation, not regulatory advice. Sources checked 4 Oct 2026.
The Performance Standard
For cooked beef, roast beef and cooked corned beef, 9 CFR 318.17(a)(2) limits Clostridium perfringens growth to no more than 1 log during cooling, with no growth of C. botulinum, and 9 CFR 381.150 sets a similar standard for poultry. For other products, cooling still needs support in your hazard analysis under 9 CFR part 417.
More on the Performance Standard
The guideline's options are built to meet the 1-log target.
The Core Cooling Options
Option 1.1 cools from 130 to 80°F in 1.5 hours or less, then 80 to 40°F in 5 hours or less. Option 1.2 starts chilling within 90 minutes of the cook ending, takes product from 120 to 80°F in 1 hour, from 80 to 55°F in 5 hours, then keeps chilling to 40°F.
Three common cooling options
| Option | Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | 130 to 80°F in 1.5 h | 80 to 40°F in 5 h |
| 1.2 | Start within 90 min; 120 to 80°F in 1 h | 80 to 55°F in 5 h, then to 40°F |
| 1.3 (cured, conditions apply) | 130 to 80°F in 5 h | 80 to 45°F in 10 h |
- 1.1
- Stage 1
- 130 to 80°F in 1.5 h
- Stage 2
- 80 to 40°F in 5 h
- 1.2
- Stage 1
- Start within 90 min; 120 to 80°F in 1 h
- Stage 2
- 80 to 55°F in 5 h, then to 40°F
- 1.3 (cured, conditions apply)
- Stage 1
- 130 to 80°F in 5 h
- Stage 2
- 80 to 45°F in 10 h
More on the Core Cooling Options
Option 1.3, for cured product with at least 100 ppm ingoing sodium nitrite and 250 ppm ascorbate or erythorbate, allows 5 hours to 80°F and 10 more to 45°F. Check the current table for every option and footnote.
Matching your product to the option
Each option has conditions, such as ingoing cure levels or pH and water activity limits. Measure at the slowest-cooling point of the largest piece, in the most heavily loaded position of the cooler.
More on matching your product to the option
If your product or cooler does not match an option, you need other support, such as predictive modelling with your own data or a challenge study.
Cooling Deviations
When a cooling record misses its limit, hold the lot and follow your corrective action procedure under 9 CFR 417.3. The guideline describes using predictive microbial models with the actual time and temperature data to support a disposition decision.
Worked Example: a Slow Cooler
- 02:10Hams from Oven 3 reach 80°F lateCooler operator
- 02:20Lot held; deviation openedQA
- MorningActual data run through a predictive modelHACCP lead
- DecisionHACCP team records disposition and the causeHACCP team
More on cooling Deviations
A model result supports the HACCP team's decision but does not make it; product may be released, reworked, diverted or destroyed.
Cooler Loading and Records
Many deviations trace back to overloaded coolers, long door openings or failed refrigeration. Record the start time, readings at the defined points, probe location and who checked.
More on cooler Loading and Records
Calibrate thermometers and data loggers on schedule, and complete the pre-shipment record review your HACCP plan requires under 9 CFR 417.5(c).
Questions
Is Appendix B mandatory?
No. It is guidance. You may use other scientific support if it fits your product and process and is kept as supporting documentation.
Can we keep citing older Appendix B cooling times?
FSIS revised the guideline in 2017 and again in December 2021. Check that the option you cite appears in the current version and that your product meets its conditions.
Does a predictive model clear a cooling deviation?
It can support a disposition decision when used with actual product data as the guideline describes. The HACCP team still decides and records why.
Where does V5 fit?
V5 records cooling checks, deviations, corrective actions and linked lots. It does not validate processes or decide disposition.
Practical orientation, not legal advice. Rules differ by jurisdiction; your quality and compliance team decides what applies.
Keep reading
FSIS Meat and Poultry HACCP Readiness: 9 CFR 416 and 417
9 CFR 416 Sanitation SOPs: Procedures, Daily Records and Corrective Actions
9 CFR 430 Listeria Control for RTE Meat and Poultry: Choosing and Running an Alternative
FSIS Cooking Lethality (Appendix A): Validating Cooked Meat and Poultry
FSIS Label Approval (9 CFR 412): Sketch, Generic and Temporary Labels Explained