What should be done to food after it has been prepared?

After food has been prepared, the best practice is to chill it immediately or keep it hot. This is crucial for food safety and helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses.

When food is left at room temperature, it enters the danger zone (between 41°F and 135°F), where bacteria multiply rapidly. By either keeping food hot (above 135°F) or chilling it to below 41°F quickly, you ensure that it remains at a safe temperature where bacteria cannot thrive. Chilling should be done within two hours of cooking, or within one hour if the food is in a large quantity. This method effectively maintains the quality and safety of the food until it is ready to be served.

Other choices may not provide appropriate food safety measures; letting food cool slowly, for instance, can allow harmful bacteria to grow, and serving food directly without proper storage can also result in food being held at unsafe temperatures.