Cook/Chill Production Center
Customer Manual

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145 Old Orangeburg Road
Orangeburg, NY 10962

Phone: (845) 365-6196
Fax: (845) 365-6296
https://cookchill.omh.ny.gov

Cook Chill Production Center Director
Kelly Loud

The employees of the CCPC have developed this program with pride.

Mission of the Cook/Chill Production Center (CCPC):

Our cook chill system of manufacturing enables us to offer fresh, wholesome meals that are fully prepared, and meet the nutritional and budgetary needs of our patients and customers.

What is the CCPC?

The CCPC is a central food processing plant operated by the Bureau of Nutrition Services of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH). The CCPC operating since October of 1994, by the New York State Office of Mental Health, Bureau of Nutrition Services, serves OMH facilities, other state agencies, government and Not-For-Profit agencies. Refrigerated trucks deliver food from Buffalo to Long Island. Cook/Chill is a system which prepares large quantities of food with an extended shelf life. This extended life comes from the control of time and temperature.

• Food is cooked at pasteurization temperatures to kill harmful bacteria
• Food is chilled quickly (within one hour) to prevent bacteria growth
• Food is stored and shipped at 30-34° F

What is the Shelf-Life of these foods?

• Tumble chilled & cook tank products have a shelf life of 4 weeks or more.
• Specialty products have shelf lives of 3 weeks or more.
• Salad such as tuna salad, egg salad, and chicken salad have shelf lives of 19 days.
• Frozen products have a shelf life of 6 months.

Facts

• The CCPC makes over 150 different products.
• The CCPC prepares traditional home style comfort foods.
• The cook chill production center currently services 60 meal sites.
• Daily pounds produced = 25,000 lbs.
• Products have an extended refrigerated shelf life of 4-6 weeks.
• Cook chill products reduce food and labor costs.

Cook Chill Products

Kettle Products

Food is prepared in automatic steam-jacketed kettles, then pumped into plastic "casings" and tumble-chilled from 180°F to 40°F in one hour. Examples of these products are:

• Soups (Chicken Noodle, Minestrone, Vegetable)
• Sauces (Marinara, Creole, Cheese)
• Gravies (Brown, Poultry, Mushroom, Onion)
• Salads (Tuna, Chicken, Egg, Pasta)
• Entrée (Assorted Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey and Vegetarian)
• Dessert (Vanilla, Chocolate and Butterscotch Pudding)

Cook Tank Products

Whole meats are sealed in plastic bags and cooked slowly in a water bath; at the correct level of doneness, chilled water is pumped in and cooked meat is held in a chilled state. Examples of these products are:

• Pot Roast
• Meatloaf
• Turkey Breast
• Roast Pork
• Rices (White, Brown, Confetti)
• Chicken with Rice
• Chicken Fried Rice
• Rice & Beans

Why Cook / Chill ?

• Food tastes fresher and less energy is used in preparation, storage, and rethermalization.
• Labor normally devoted to food production can be reduced by about 50%.
• There is increased menu flexibility.
• Production staff can devote their time to other duties.
• Cook/Chill eliminates "peaks & valleys" in food production workloads.
• Emergencies, such as weather or staff shortages, are more easily handled.

How is Safety & Quality Insured?

• The CCPC operates under USDA Regulations and follows a HACCP Plan to insure safety. (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points).
• The CCPC test kitchen develops new recipes and enhances existing ones.
• The CCPC lab tests for pH and viscosity. It prepares samples for microbial testing by an outside lab.
• All temperature monitoring equipment is automated.

How are Cook/Chill Foods Rethermalized?

• Foods can be rethermalized directly in their casings in kettles, braising pans, steamers, or combi-ovens.
• Foods can be removed from casings and combined (sliced meats plus gravy, for example) and rethermalized in an oven or steamer.
• Rethermalized foods can be served hot on a cafeteria line, on a central tray-line, of in a conventional kitchen.
• Foods can be plated chilled and rethermalized individually via an "on-plate rethermalization system".