Food Receiving, Storage, Preparation and Display
Receiving
Inspect deliveries for temperature (cold food ≤5°C, frozen food ≤-18°C with no signs of thawing), packaging integrity, date codes, and pest damage. Reject food that is out of temperature, damaged, or past its use-by date. Label and date incoming food.
Storage
- Dry store: cool, dry, well-ventilated; keep off the floor and away from walls.
- Refrigerator: ≤5°C; raw below RTE; covered; labelled with date.
- Freezer: ≤-18°C; wrap well to prevent freezer burn.
- FIFO (First In, First Out) and FEFO (First Expired, First Out) stock rotation.
Preparation
Thaw in the refrigerator (≤5°C), under running water (≤21°C), or in a microwave (then cook immediately). Never thaw at room temperature. Wash fruits and vegetables with potable water. Use separate equipment for raw and RTE.
Display
Hot food ≥63°C, cold food ≤5°C. Use sneeze guards. Do not top up dishes with fresh food; replace the whole dish. Label allergens and date codes.
Traps in Questions
- Accepting a delivery of frozen chicken that is partially thawed-reject.
- Thawing meat on the bench-unsafe.
- Topping up hot food-causes temperature abuse.
- Storing food on the floor-pest and contamination risk.
Worked Example / Rule of Thumb
A delivery of milk arrives at 10°C. Reject it because it should be ≤5°C. Rule of thumb: Check temperature, packaging, and dates on receiving; store raw below RTE; thaw in fridge; display hot ≥63°C, cold ≤5°C.