Safe Food Storage

Food safety starts before food enters the kitchen. Accepting a bad delivery means the problem is now yours.

• Buy only from approved, reputable suppliers that are inspected and meet local regulatory requirements.
• Receive deliveries when staff have time to inspect them, and check items immediately — never leave a delivery on the dock.
• Cold TCS food must arrive at 41°F or below; hot food at 135°F or above; frozen food must be frozen solid.
• Reject food with signs of thawing and refreezing (ice crystals, frozen liquid, water stains), damaged or swollen cans, torn packaging, punctured or leaking boxes, or evidence of pests.
• Reject food with abnormal color, texture or odor, or with a broken or missing use-by date; live shellfish must arrive with a shellstock identification tag kept for 90 days.

The storage order follows one simple logic: whatever needs the highest cooking temperature goes lowest, so its drips can never land on something safer.

• In the refrigerator, store food by rising minimum cook temperature from top to bottom: ready-to-eat food on top, then whole fish, beef, and pork, then ground meats, with raw poultry on the very bottom shelf.
• Store raw and ready-to-eat food in covered, labeled containers to prevent drips and cross-contamination.
• Keep refrigeration units at 41°F or below and freezers at 0°F or below, and check the thermometer at least once per shift.
• Do not overload shelves or line them with foil or paper — air must circulate for the unit to hold temperature.
• Store food at least 6 inches off the floor, never under sewer or condensate lines, and clean up spills immediately.

Rotation only works if everyone can tell at a glance what came first and when it must go.

• Follow FIFO (First In, First Out) — use older stock before newer stock and place new deliveries behind existing stock.
• Label ready-to-eat TCS food prepared on site with the date it was made and a discard date.
• Ready-to-eat TCS food may be held for a maximum of 7 days at 41°F or below, counting the day of preparation as day 1.
• Label all food with its common name, and never store food in unlabeled containers — especially chemicals in food containers or food in chemical containers.
• Discard any food that is past its discard date, out of date, unlabeled, or of unknown age. When in doubt, throw it out.

Dry and frozen goods look forgiving, but humidity, pests and freezer burn quietly ruin stock and create hazards.

• Keep dry storage areas cool and dry — ideally 50°F to 70°F with humidity around 50-60%.
• Store all items at least 6 inches off the floor and away from walls, away from chemicals and cleaning supplies.
• Keep dry goods in original packaging or food-grade, airtight containers with tight lids and clear labels.
• Discard any food held in the danger zone (41°F-135°F) for more than 4 hours.
• In the freezer, protect food from freezer burn with airtight wrapping, and never refreeze food that has fully thawed unless it was cooked first.