What mandatory chilling requirement must be met within two hours if a stone crab claw is not cooked immediately after separation?

It must be chilled below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Addressing bacterial risk is fundamental to stone crab safety, as bacteria multiply rapidly in dead seafood. Because the detached claw meat is exposed to the environment immediately upon separation—even if the host crab remains alive—a protocol for rapid preservation must be followed if immediate cooking is not feasible. The standard mandated procedure dictates that the claw must undergo rapid cooling. Specifically, it must be chilled to a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit within a two-hour window following its removal from the trap. This rapid temperature drop is necessary to halt the rapid proliferation of spoilage bacteria that begins immediately after detachment, thereby safeguarding the product until it can be cooked or properly maintained in the cold chain.