Do I need two different recipes for a tossed salad if sometimes I use sliced tomatoes and sometimes cherry tomatoes?

Yes, you would need two recipes. The tossed salad that contains sliced tomatoes must be labeled as a potentially hazardous food and the one with cherry tomatoes is classified as a non-potentially hazardous food.

Sliced tomatoes have been implicated in several foodborne illness outbreaks and so the U.S. FDA has classified sliced tomatoes as potentially hazardous. Whole fruits and vegetables, such as unsliced tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, are not classified as potentially hazardous so do not need to be kept cold for safety unless mixed with other foods that are potentially hazardous.

The tossed salad with sliced tomatoes must be at 41 degrees F or colder because it contains a potentially hazardous ingredient (sliced tomatoes), whereas the salad with cherry tomatoes does not need to be kept cold. However, while not required, it is best to keep all other produce that is cut -- chopped, sliced, pureed -- at 41 degrees F or colder after processing.

At the end of the day, any tossed salads with sliced tomatoes that remain must be checked to be sure that their temperature is at 41 degrees F or colder. If not at 41 degrees F or colder, then the tossed salad must be thrown out. Tossed salads with cherry tomatoes, can be saved for service within three days if the temperature is not above 70 degrees F. The tossed salads with cherry tomatoes must be stored at 41 degrees F or colder.