If the hold time of a food product is exceeded, what should you do with the food?

The correct approach when the hold time of a food product is exceeded is to track it as waste and discard it. This is crucial for maintaining food safety standards and ensuring customer health. When food items are held beyond their safe time limit, they may harbor bacteria or other pathogens that can lead to foodborne illness if consumed.

By discarding the food, you prevent the risk of serving unsafe products to customers, which aligns with health regulations and the practice of responsible restaurant management. This also reflects a commitment to quality and safety, which are vital to maintaining the integrity of the food service industry.

Other options, such as storing the food for later use or attempting to reheat it, do not mitigate the potential risk associated with consuming food that has been held too long. Offering it at a discount may also create ethical and health-related issues. Therefore, the safest and most responsible course of action is to treat it as waste and discard it.