The Flow of Food: Purchasing and Receiving Objective: Choose a supplier. Inspection procedures. Receiving and inspecting specific food.

You can avoid many potential food safety hazards by using approved, reputable suppliers and properly inspecting products when they are delivered.

Choosing a Supplier Make sure suppliers are approved and reputable. Develop a relationship with your suppliers, and get to know their food safety practices Arrange deliveries so they arrive one at a time and during off-peak hours

Inspection Procedures Train employees to inspect deliveries properly Plan ahead for shipments Plan a backup menu in case you have to return food items Inspect and store each delivery before accepting another one. Have the right information available. Inspect deliveries immediately Correct mistakes immediately Put products away as quickly as possible, especially refrigerated products Keep receiving area clean and well lighted to discourage pests.

Inspect Food Quality Check for: Appearance Texture Odor

Rejecting Shipments Set the rejected product aside Tell the delivery person exactly what is wrong with the rejected product Get a credit slip from the delivery person before throwing the product away or letting the delivery person remove it. Log the incident on the invoice or receiving document.

Checking Temperatures of Deliveries Meat, poultry, or fish: insert thermometer stem into the thickest part of the product. Reduced Oxygen Packaged (ROP) and bulk food: insert thermometer between two packages. Other packaged food: open the package and insert the thermometer in the product Live, molluscan shellfish: insert thermometer into the middle of the carton or case Eggs: check the air temperature of the delivery truck and the truck’s temperature chart recorder.

Inspecting Specific Foods Cold Food: meat, poultry, fish, produce, other dairy, cold ready to eat: 41*F or lower unless otherwise specified Shellfish: must be received on ice or at an air temperature of 45*F and no higher than 50*F, odor, shells, and condition. Shucked Shellfish: internal temperature of 45*F or lower, odor and condition Eggs: USDA inspected, 45*F or lower, odor, and shells Hot Food: receive at 135*F or higher Milk: pasteurized, standards met my FDA, 45*F or lower, cooled to 41*F in four hours.

Using your iPad: how are dairy products and eggs pasteurized?

Questions What are some general guidelines for receiving food safely? What are the proper methods for checking the temperatures of bulk milk? What should the temperature be? What are the three conditions that would result in rejecting a shipment of fresh poultry? What types of external damage to cans are cause for rejection?