Abstract: A food handling fork having a plurality of elongated tines having an upper surface, a lower surface, a base end, and a point and a release plate forming a plurality of tine openings through which said tines extend. The release plate has a proximal end positioned above the upper surface of the tines, a curved portion positioned below the bottom surface of the tines, and a distal end terminating in at least one tongue having a tip extending upwardly to at least the lower surface of the tines. The present invention further comprises a means for slidably advancing the release plate along the tines from an initial position where the tongue is a predetermined distance between the base end and point of the tines to a release position where at least a portion of the tongue is forward the point of the tines.