Receiving, Storing, and Labeling Food
What you must understand
Safe food starts at the door. Receiving means checking temperature, packaging, and dates. Refrigerated food must arrive at 41°F or below; frozen food should be solid with no ice crystals or thawed juices. Reject cans that are dented on seams, swollen, or leaking; reject torn packaging, pest evidence, and food with expired dates. Shell eggs should arrive at 45°F or below. Check that delivery trucks are clean and refrigerated.
Storage follows the FIFO rule (first in, first out). Store food at least six inches off the floor and away from walls. Keep raw meat below ready-to-eat food to prevent drip contamination. The usual top-to-bottom refrigerator order is ready-to-eat food, then whole fish, then whole cuts of beef and pork, then ground meat, then poultry on the bottom. Store chemicals below and away from food. Keep dry goods in a cool, dry place.
Labeling: date-mark ready-to-eat food that is prepared on site and held more than 24 hours, and use it within seven days at 41°F or below, counting the prep day. Label allergens clearly. Keep original containers or label transferred food with the common name. Rotate stock and discard expired items.
Traps to watch
Questions often ask where raw chicken goes: the bottom shelf, never above salad. Do not accept a delivery just because it is cold to the touch; use a thermometer. Remember that the seven-day count includes the day of preparation.
Rule of thumb
At receiving, if the temperature or the package fails, reject it. In storage, raw below ready-to-eat, and label and date anything you open or prepare.