This is originally a technical term for a process of communal catering, in which the immediate serving of the food can be dispensed with. This is in contrast to conventional warm meals, in which the food is served immediately after preparation or kept warm until it is consumed. In technical jargon, these processes are referred to as cook and serve or cook and hold.
In the Cook and Chill process (also: cook-chill or CC), the warm food components are prepared and cooked in the conventional way, but then cooled to a temperature of below 4 ° C within 90 minutes. This is called rapid cooling. The chilled food can be stored for up to four days without any loss of quality if the cold chain is uninterrupted. It is only warmed up to consumption temperature immediately before serving. This process is known as regeneration.
The advantages of the Cook & Chill system includes also the associated hygienic safety according to the specifications of the HACCP concept (Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point).
The multiplication of pathogenic germs as well as the formation of toxins is prevented by quickly crossing the hygienically questionable temperature range when lowering from approx. 40 to 10 ° C. This is v. a. in the field of hospitals and old people’s homes because the immune system of many patients is weakened.
Moguntia products for the Cook and Chill process are marked accordingly.