Here are some food safety tips in preparing stocks, sauces, and brews:

• Do not thicken soup and sauce items until about 10 minutes before service because it is difficult to keep thickened sauces at a uniform temperature. To control spores, heat must be maintained at 54°C (130°F) for safety to 74°C (165°F) for quality, especially if held for a long time.
• Minimize leftovers. Hot stew, stocks, soups, and sauces are difficult to cool, thereby risk of spoilage is higher if not cooled properly. According to US FDA, any leftovers must be cooled from 57°C to 5°C (135°F to 41°F) in less than 6 hours.