Label potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food prepared on-site, with either: The date it was prepared The date it should be sold, consumed, or discarded Instructor Notes Labeling is required when the food has been held for longer than twenty-four hours. If an item has been previously cooked and stored and is later mixed with another food item to make a new dish, the label on the new dish must indicate the preparation or discard date for the previously cooked item. For example, if ground beef has been cooked and stored at 41F (5C) or lower and is later used to make meat sauce, the meat sauce must be labeled with either the preparation or discard date of the ground beef. 7-2

Discard food that has passed its manufacturer’s expiration date Potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food that was prepared in-house Can be stored for 7 days at 41F (5C) or lower Must be discarded after 7 days 7-3

Rotate products so the oldest inventory is used first To follow FIFO: Identify the use-by, expiration, or preparation date of products Shelve products with earliest dates in front of those with later dates Use products stored in front first Instructor Notes The first in, first out (FIFO) method is commonly used to ensure that refrigerated, frozen, and dry products are properly rotated during storage. There are several ways to follow FIFO. This slide illustrates one way. 7-4

Deplete product on a regular basis If product is not sold or consumed by a predetermined date: Discard it Clean and sanitize the container Refill the container with new product Instructor Notes Establish a schedule to ensure that stored product is depleted on a regular basis. 7-5

Transfer food between containers properly If you take food out of its original package: Put it in a clean, sanitized container Cover it Label with product name and original use-by/expiration date Instructor Notes Never use empty food containers to store chemicals or put food in empty chemical containers. 7-6

Keep potentially hazardous food out of the temperature danger zone Store deliveries as soon as they have been inspected Put prepared food away until needed 7-7

Photo courtesy of Roger Bonafield and Dingbats Check temperatures of stored food and storage areas Instructor Notes Temperatures should be checked at the beginning of the shift. Many establishments use a pre-shift checklist to guide employees through the process. 7-8 Photo courtesy of Roger Bonafield and Dingbats

Store food only in designated storage areas Do not store food: Near chemicals or cleaning supplies In restrooms In locker rooms In furnace rooms In janitor closets Under stairways or pipes Instructor Notes Food can be easily contaminated in the areas indicated. Do not store food this way 7-9

Keep all storage areas and equipment clean and dry Clean up spills immediately Clean dollies, carts, transporters, and trays often Instructor Notes Floors, walls, and shelving in refrigerators, freezers, dry storerooms, and heated holding cabinets should be properly cleaned on a regular basis. Spills and leaks should be cleaned up immediately to keep them from contaminating other food. 7-10

Today’s date is October 3rd. September has 30 days. Which food items should be discarded? Instructor Notes Answers: The tuna salad has been stored for eight days and should be discarded. Both baines of vegetable soup should be discarded since one has been stored for eight days, and the other for nine days. The salad is not potentially hazardous. 7-11

Refrigerated Storage Used to hold potentially hazardous food at 41F (5C) or lower Slows the growth of microorganisms Instructor Notes Some jurisdictions allow food to be held at 45F (7C) or lower. Refrigeration slows the growth of microorganisms and helps keep them from multiplying to levels high enough to cause illness. 7-12

Air temperature should be at least 2F (1C) lower than the desired internal product temperature Instructor Notes For example, to hold poultry at an internal temperature of 41F (5C), the air temperature in the refrigerator should be at least 39F (4C). Hanging thermometers can be used to check air temperature and should be placed in the warmest part of the unit. They should be checked for accuracy. 7-13

Monitor food temperature regularly by: Randomly sampling temperature with a calibrated thermometer Using a product-mimicking device 7-14

Do not: Overload a refrigerator Line shelving with foil or paper Open refrigerator doors too frequently Instructor Notes These practices make the unit work harder to stay cold. Overloading a refrigerator or lining shelving prevents good airflow in the unit. Opening a refrigerator door too frequently lets warm air inside. Overloaded refrigerator 7-15

Never place hot food in the refrigerator This can warm the interior—putting food into the temperature danger zone 7-16

Store raw meat, poultry, and fish: Separately from cooked and ready-to-eat food OR Below cooked or ready-to-eat food Do not store food this way Instructor Notes If they cannot be stored separately, store cooked or ready-to-eat food above raw meat, poultry, and fish. This will prevent raw product juices from dripping onto the prepared food and causing a foodborne illness. It is also recommended that raw meat, poultry, and fish be stored in the following top-to-bottom order: whole fish, whole cuts of beef and pork, ground meats and fish, whole and ground poultry. This order is based on the required minimum internal cooking temperature of each type of food. 7-17

Wrap food properly Leaving it uncovered can lead to cross-contamination 7-18

Frozen Storage Slows the growth of microorganisms substantially Used to hold potentially hazardous food at 0F (–18C) or lower Storage temperature varies by product Instructor Notes Freezing does not kill all microorganisms. Keep freezer temperatures at 0F (–18C) or lower unless the food you are storing requires a different temperature. 7-19

To maintain proper freezer temperatures: Check unit temperatures regularly Do not store warm food inside Do not overload units Keep doors closed as much as possible Defrost units regularly Instructor Notes Warm food can raise the temperature inside the unit and partially thaw the food inside. Overloading a freezer unit makes it work harder, and makes it harder to find and rotate food properly. Freezer units will operate more efficiently when free of frost. Food should be moved to another freezer while defrosting. 7-20

Dry-storage areas are used to hold dry and canned food at: 50F to 70F (10C to 21C) 50% to 60% relative humidity Instructor Notes Storerooms must be cool, dry, and well ventilated, since moisture and heat are the biggest dangers to dry and canned food. 7-21

Dry food must be stored: At least 6 inches off the floor Away from walls Out of direct sunlight In a clean area 7-22

When storing fresh meat: Store at an internal temperature of 41F (5C) or lower Wrap it in airtight, moisture-proof material OR Store it in a container 7-23

When storing fresh poultry: Store at an internal temperature of 41F (5C) or lower Store ice-packed product as is, in self-draining containers Instructor Notes If poultry is stored in self-draining containers, the ice should be changed often and the container should be sanitized regularly. 7-24

When storing fresh fish: Keep at an internal temperature of 41F (5C) or lower Store ice-packed product as is, in self-draining containers Keep fillets and steaks in original packaging Instructor Notes If fish is stored in self-draining containers, the ice should be changed often and the container should be sanitized regularly. Fish that will be served raw or partially cooked (with the exception of certain species of tuna) should be frozen by the processor to the following temperatures prior to shipment: –4F (–20C) or lower for seven days (168 hours) in a storage freezer; or –31F (–35C) or lower for fifteen hours in a blast freezer. 7-25

When storing fresh shellfish: Store alive at an air temperature of 45F (7C) or lower Store in original containers Keep shellstock tags for 90 days from date last shellfish was used Instructor Notes Molluscan shellfish (clams, oysters, mussels, scallops) can be stored in a display tank under one of two conditions: The tanks carry a sign stating that the shellfish are for display only. You obtain a variance from the health department to serve the shellfish on display. 7-26

When storing shell eggs: Store at an air temperature of 45F (7C) or lower Keep eggs in refrigerated storage until used Use eggs within 4–5 weeks of packing date Instructor Notes Liquid egg products should be stored according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Dried egg products can be stored in a dry and cool storeroom, but should be refrigerated at 41F (5C) or lower when reconstituted (mixed with water). 7-27

When storing dairy: Store fresh at 41F (5C) or lower Store frozen at 6F to 10F (–14C to –12C) Follow FIFO Discard product that has passed its use-by/expiration date 7-28

When storing fresh produce: Storage temperatures will vary by product Product packed on ice can be stored that way Do not wash product prior to storage Instructor Notes Product packed on ice, such as whole, raw produce and raw, cut vegetables, must be stored in self-draining containers. Ice should be changed regularly. Most produce should not be washed prior to storage. 7-29

When storing MAP, vacuum-packed, and sous vide food: Store at temperatures recommended by manufacturer Discard product if: Use-by/expiration dates have expired Package is torn Package is slimy or contains excessive liquid Product bubbles Instructor Notes If a temperature is not specified by the manufacturer, store product at 41F (5C) or lower. 7-30

UHT Products Aseptically Packaged Store product at room temperature Once opened, store at 41F (5C) or lower UHT Products Not Aseptically Packaged Store at 41F (5C) or lower 7-31

When storing canned and dry products: Store product at 50F to 70F (10C to 21C) Store in original package or in airtight, clearly labeled containers Keep storerooms dry Check packages for insect or rodent damage 7-32

Find the unsafe storage practices in this picture Instructor Notes Answers: There are ten unsafe storage practices in this picture: The chef is going to place a large amount of hot food into the refrigerator. The chef is going to store an uncovered stockpot of cooked food in the refrigerator. The refrigerator is overloaded. The chef is smoking a cigarette. The chef has an uncovered bandage on his hand. Some items in the refrigerator are labeled, while others are not. Food has been stored on the floor and one bag has a tear. Chemicals and cleaning tools have been stored with food. Many of the dry goods stored on the shelf are missing labels. From the cobwebs, it appears the establishment does not do a good job cleaning the storeroom and rotating stock. 7-33