Purchasing, Receiving and Storage

Purchasing, Receiving, and Storage

Introduction

The module focuses on the crucial first steps in the flow of food: purchasing, receiving, and storage.
Highlights the potential dangers and consequences of improper food handling through an example of a restaurant closure due to incorrect storage of raw ground beef.
Emphasizes the importance of purchasing food from approved, reputable suppliers and following correct receiving procedures to ensure food safety and quality.

Purchasing from Approved Suppliers

Approved suppliers are those who have been inspected and can provide an inspection report.
This includes all suppliers in the supply chain (growers, shippers, packers, manufacturers, distributors, and local markets).
Importance of building relationships with suppliers to understand their food safety practices.
Supplier lists should include only approved suppliers based on company specifications, standards, and procedures.
Inspection reports from the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, or a third party inspector, based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) are desired.
Inspection reports should cover: receiving, storage, food processing practices, shipping, cleaning and sanitizing, personal hygiene, the supplier's food safety management system, recall program, and staff training.

Receiving Deliveries

Schedule deliveries when staff has time to inspect them and assign receiving duties to trained staff.
Provide receiving staff with the right tools: inspection lists, thermometers, scales, and purchase orders.
Trained staff should inspect deliveries immediately for signs of temperature abuse and contamination.

Inspecting the Delivery Truck

Inspect the delivery truck for overall condition, signs of pests, and any contamination.
Reject the delivery if any problems are found.

Inspecting Food Items

Visually inspect food items and check to ensure they have been received at the correct temperature.
Store inspected food items in the correct areas as quickly as possible, especially refrigerated and frozen items.

Key Drop Deliveries

These are deliveries made after hours when the operation is closed.
The delivery must be inspected once staff arrives to ensure:
- It's from an approved source.
- It was placed in the correct storage location to maintain the required temperature.
- It was protected from contamination in storage.
- It is not contaminated.
- It is honestly presented.

Rejecting Items

Set rejected items aside from accepted items.
Inform the delivery person about the reason for rejection.
Log the incident on the invoice or receiving document.

Reconditioning

Some items can be reconditioned if they would have been rejected, such as cleaning and sanitizing dirty cans from a leaking case.
Items with serious dents along the seams can't be reconditioned and would have to be rejected.

Recalls

Food items are recalled when they have been mislabeled or misbranded, food allergens have not been identified on the label, or contamination has been confirmed or suspected.
Monitor recall notifications from the FDA and the USDA.

Actions to take during a recall:

Identify the recalled food items by matching information (manufacturer's ID, date of manufacture, used by date) from the recall notice to the item.
Remove the item from inventory and place it in a secure and appropriate location, separate from other items.
Label the item to prevent it from being placed back in inventory (e.g., "Do Not Use" and "Do Not Discard" label).
Refer to the vendor's notification or recall notice for instructions on what to do with the item (throw it out or return it to the vendor).

Checking Food Temperatures

Different methods are used to check the temperature based on the type of food:
- Meat, poultry, or fish: insert the thermometer stem or probe directly into the thickest part of the food, usually the center.
- Reduced oxygen packaging: insert the thermometer stem or probe between two packages, or fold the package around the thermometer stem or probe, without puncturing the package.
- Other packaged food: open the package and insert the thermometer stem or probe directly into the food, ensuring the sensing area is fully immersed and does not touch the package.

General Temperature Guidelines for TCS Food

Follow the manufacturer's directions.
Hot TCS food should be received at $135^{\circ}F$ , $(57^{\circ}C)$ , or higher.
Cold TCS food should be received at $41^{\circ}F$ , $(5^{\circ}C)$ , or lower (outside of the temperature danger zone).

Receiving Frozen Food

Ensure it's frozen solid.
Reject it if there are fluids, water stains, ice crystals, or frozen liquids on the product or package.
Large ice crystals indicate the food has thawed and been refrozen (temperature abuse).

Specific Temperatures for Certain Products

Milk can be received at $45^{\circ}F$ , $(7^{\circ}C)$ , or lower, but must be cooled to $41^{\circ}F$ , $(5^{\circ}C)$ , or lower in four hours.
Molluscan shellfish (shucked): can be received at $45^{\circ}F$ , $(7^{\circ}C)$ , or lower, but must be cooled to $41^{\circ}F$ , $(5^{\circ}C)$ , or lower in four hours.
Shellstock (live shellfish): can be received at an air temperature of $45^{\circ}F$ , $(7^{\circ}C)$ , and an internal temperature of no greater than $50^{\circ}F$ , $(10^{\circ}C)$ , and must be cooled to $41^{\circ}F$ , $(5^{\circ}C)$ , or lower in four hours.
In-shell product (processed nonliving shellfish with one or both shells) should be received according to manufacturer's directions.
Eggs in the shell must be received at an air temperature of $45^{\circ}F$ , $(7^{\circ}C)$ , or lower.

Packaging Inspection

Packaging should be clean and intact.
Reject any item with dirty or discolored packaging.
Reject items with tears, holes, or punctures.
Food and nonfood items should be delivered in their original packaging with the manufacturer's label.
Reject items with broken cartons or seals, and never accept cases or packages that show signs of tampering.

Other Factors to Consider

Reject cans with severe dents in the seams or deep dents in the can body.
Reject cans with swollen or bulging ends, holes, signs of leaking, missing labels, or rust.
Reject reduced oxygen packaging that is bloated or leaking.
Reject packages or product that is leaking, damp, or water stained.
Reject any item that has pest damage or contains signs of pests.
Reject food that has passed its used by or expiration date or is missing this information.

Understanding Date Labels

Sell by date: tells the store how long to display the product for sale.
Best by date: the date by which the product should be eaten for best flavor or quality.
Use by or expiration date: the last date recommended for use of the product while at peak quality.

Required Documentation

Molluscan shellfish must have a shell stock identification tag or label, indicating when and where the shellfish were harvested and that it came from an approved source.
Store molluscan shellfish in their original container with the shell stock tag or label until the last shellfish is used, then write the date on the tag, label, or invoice and keep it on file for ninety days from that date.
Shellfish from one container should not be mixed with shellfish from another unless they have the same certification number, harvest date, or are from the same growing area.
Fish that will be eaten raw or partially cooked must have documentation that the fish was correctly frozen before being received to ensure any parasites have been destroyed, these also must be kept for ninety days from the sale of the fish.
Farm raised fish must have documentation stating it was raised to FDA standards, these also must be kept for ninety days from the sale of the fish.

Poor Food Quality

Can indicate time temperature abuse and potential safety issues. Check the appearance, texture, and odor of food.
Appearance: Reject food that is moldy or has an abnormal color, moist when it should be dry, or shows signs of pests or pest damage.
Texture: Reject meat, fish, and poultry that is slimy, sticky, or dry, or has flesh that is soft and leaves an imprint when touched.
Odor: Reject food with an abnormal or unpleasant odor.
Reject any food that does not meet the company's standards for quality, working with suppliers to define specific safety and quality criteria.

Storage

Following good storage practices for food and non food items will help keep the items safe and preserve their quality.

Labeling Food

Anytime food is taken out of its original container, it must be labeled with the common name of the food.
If the food does not have a common name, the label should include a statement that clearly and accurately identifies it.
Food is not required to be labeled if it clearly will not be mistaken for another item and is easily identified by sight.

Labeling Food Packaged in the Operation for Retail

The common name of the food or a statement that clearly identifies it.
The quantity of the food in the package.
A list of ingredients and sub ingredients in descending order by weight.
A list of artificial colors and flavors in the food.
Chemical preservatives must also be listed.
The name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor.
The source of each major food allergen contained in the food.
These labeling requirements don't apply to customer's leftover food placed in carryout containers

Date Marking

Ready to eat TCS food prepared on-site can be stored for seven days if kept at $41^{\circ}F$ , $(5^{\circ}C)$ , or lower, and must be discarded after that date.
The mark must indicate when the food must be sold, eaten, or thrown out, with the count beginning on the day the food was prepared or when a commercial container was opened.

Storing Food at the Correct Temperature

TCS food must be stored at an internal temperature of $41^{\circ}F$ , $(5^{\circ}C)$ , or lower, or $135^{\circ}F$ , $(57^{\circ}C)$ , or higher.
Frozen food must be stored at temperatures that keep it frozen.
Don't overload coolers and freezers and don't open cooler doors more than necessary.
Don't line shelves with aluminum foil, sheet pans, or paper.
Monitor the air temperature in storage units and use air temperature measuring devices accurate to plus or minus three degrees Fahrenheit ( $1.5^{\circ}C$ ).
Regularly sample the temperature of stored food to verify the cooler is working correctly and throw out food that is not at the correct temperature.

Food Rotation (FIFO)

Rotate food so that items with the earliest used by or expiration dates are used before items with later dates using the "First In, First Out" (FIFO) method.

Steps for rotating Food

Check the used by or expiration date.
Store the food in FIFO order, storing items with the earliest used by or expiration dates in front of items with later dates.
Use the food stored in front first.

If something has passed the manufacturer's used by or expiration date, throw it out.

Preventing Cross Contamination During Storage

Wrap or cover food and store it in a designated storage area.
Keep food away from walls and at least six inches (15 centimeters) off the floor.
Store single use items in their original packaging and food in containers intended for food.
Use durable, leak proof containers that can be sealed or covered.
Clean and sanitize containers before use.
Do not use empty food containers to store chemicals or put food, equipment, utensils, linens, or single use items in empty chemical containers.
Keep all storage areas clean and dry and clean them regularly, especially floors, walls, and shelving units.
Clean up spills or leaks right away.
Clean equipment used to transport food, including dollies, carts, transporters, and trays.
Store dirty linens away from food in clean, nonabsorbent containers or washable laundry bags.

Storing raw and ready-to-eat food

Keep raw and ready to eat food completely separate. (Best choice)
If that not possible use correct top to bottom order:
1. Ready to eat food
2. Seafood
3. Whole cuts of beef and pork
4. Ground meat and ground fish
5. Whole and ground poultry (bottom)
This order is based on the minimum internal cooking temperature of each food.
Exceptions to the storage order: If items are being stored in a freezer, raw meat, seafood, and poultry can be stored with or above ready to eat food if all of the items have been commercially processed and packaged and thawing frozen food in a cooler must always be stored below ready to eat food.

Storing Non Refrigerated Food

The location should be clean and dry, and should be away from dust and other contaminants.
Never store food in locker rooms or dressing rooms, restrooms or garbage rooms, or in mechanical rooms.
Do not store food under unshielded sewer lines, leaking water lines, or under stairwells.

Discarding Incorrectly Stored Food

Discard expired, damaged, spoiled, or incorrectly stored food that has become unsafe.
This includes food that is missing a date mark, ready to eat TCS food that has exceeded its date mark, and food that has exceeded time temperature requirements.
If you need to put the food in a storage area until it can be returned to the vendor, store the food away from other food and equipment and label it so food handlers do not use the product.