Chapter 6 The Flow of Food: Purchasing, Receiving, and Storage Instructor Notes You can’t make unsafe food safe. So, you must make sure you bring only safe food into your operation. Purchasing food from approved, reputable suppliers and following good receiving procedures will help to ensure the safety and quality of the food your operation uses.

Purchasing Purchase food from approved, reputable suppliers Approved suppliers: Have been inspected Meet all applicable local, state, and federal laws Arrange it so deliveries arrive: One at a time During off-peak hours Instructor Notes Make sure your suppliers have good food safety practices. This applies to all suppliers along the supply chain. Your operation’s supply chain can include growers, shippers, packers, manufacturers, distributors (trucking fleets and warehouses), or local markets. Develop a relationship with your suppliers, and get to know their food safety practices. Consider reviewing their most recent inspection reports. These reports can be from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or a third-party inspector. They should be based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). Suppliers must deliver products when staff has enough time to do inspections. 6-2

Receiving and Inspecting Receiving Principles Have enough trained staff available to promptly receive, inspect, and store food Authorize staff to accept, reject, and sign for deliveries Have policies and procedures for rejecting deliveries Instructor Notes If you must reject an item, set it aside from the items you are accepting. Then tell the delivery person exactly what’s wrong with the rejected item. Make sure you get a signed adjustment or credit slip before the rejected item is thrown out or given back to the delivery person. Finally, log the incident on the invoice or the receiving document. 6-3

Receiving and Inspecting Temperature Criteria for Deliveries Receive cold TCS food at 41˚F (5˚C) or lower, unless otherwise specified Receive hot TCS food at 135˚F (57˚C) or higher Receive frozen food frozen. Reject if: Fluids or frozen liquids are in case bottoms Ice crystals are on product or packaging Water stains are on packaging Instructor Notes Reject frozen food for the following reasons: Fluids or frozen liquids appear in case bottoms. There are ice crystals on the product or the packaging, or there are water stains on the packaging. This may be evidence of thawing and refreezing. 6-4

Receiving and Inspecting Checking Meat, Poultry, and Fish Temperatures Insert the thermometer stem or probe into the thickest part of the food (usually the center) 6-5

Receiving and Inspecting Checking ROP Food Temperatures Insert the thermometer stem or probe between 2 packages As an alternative, fold packaging around the thermometer stem or probe Instructor Notes ROP stands for reduced oxygen packaging. It includes MAP, vacuum-packed, and sous vide food. If the package allows, fold it around the thermometer stem or probe. Be careful not to puncture the package. 6-6

Receiving and Inspecting Checking Other Packaged Food Temperatures Open the package and insert the thermometer stem or probe into the food Instructor Notes When checking the temperature of food by this method, make sure the sensing area of the thermometer stem or probe is fully immersed in the food. It must not touch the package. 6-7

Receiving and Inspecting Reject packaged items with: Tears, holes, or punctures in packaging; reject cans with swollen ends, rust, or dents Broken cartons or seals or dirty wrappers Leaks, dampness, or water stains Signs of pests or pest damage Expired code or use-by dates Instructor Notes The packaging of food and nonfood items should be intact and clean. It should protect the food and food-contact surfaces from contamination. 6-8

Receiving and Inspecting Reject food if: It has an abnormal color It has an abnormal or unpleasant odor Reject meat, fish, or poultry if: It is slimy, sticky, or dry It has soft flesh that leaves an imprint when touched Instructor Notes Poor food quality can be a sign that the food has been time-temperature abused and, therefore, may be unsafe. Work with your suppliers to define specific safety and quality criteria for the products you typically receive. In addition to the guidelines in the slide, always reject any item that does not meet your company’s standards for quality. 6-9

Receiving and Inspecting Specific Food Eggs Eggs must be clean and unbroken when received Shell eggs must be received at an air temperature of 45˚F (7˚C) or lower Liquid, frozen, and dehydrated egg products must be pasteurized and have a USDA inspection mark Eggs must comply with USDA grade standards 6-10

Receiving and Inspecting Specific Food Milk and Dairy Products Must be received at 41˚F (5˚C) or lower, unless otherwise specified by law Must be pasteurized and comply with USDA grade A standards 6-11

Receiving and Inspecting Specific Food Shellfish—Raw Shucked Must be packaged in nonreturnable containers Containers must be labeled with the packer’s name, address, and certification number Containers smaller than one-half gallon (1.9 L) must have a “best if used by” or “sell by” date Containers bigger than one-half gallon (1.9 L) must have the date the shellfish were shucked 6-12

Receiving and Inspecting Specific Food Shellfish—Live Receive with shellstock identification tags Tags must remain attached to the delivery container until all the shellfish have been used Employees must write on the tags the date that the last shellfish was sold or served from the container Operators must keep these tags on file for 90 days from the date written on them Reject shellfish if they are very muddy, have broken shells, or are dead 6-13

Receiving and Inspecting Specific Food Sliced Melons and Cut Tomatoes Must be received at 41˚F (5˚C) or lower 6-14

Receiving and Inspecting Specific Food Prepackaged Juice Must be purchased from a supplier with a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan Must be treated (e.g., pasteurized) to prevent, eliminate, or reduce pathogens 6-15

Receiving and Inspecting Specific Food Products Requiring Inspection Stamps Meat and poultry Packaging must have a USDA or state department of agriculture stamp Stamp indicates product and processing plant have met certain standards Egg products Package must have an inspection stamp indicating federal regulations have been enforced Instructor Notes Checking for inspection stamps is a way to make sure food is coming from an approved source. 6-16

General Storage Guidelines Label Food Ready-to-eat TCS food that was prepped on-site and held longer than 24 hours, must contain a label that includes: Name of the food Date by which it should be sold, eaten, or thrown out Instructor Notes Labeling is required when the food has been held for longer than 24 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 discard date of the previously cooked item. For example, if ground beef has been cooked and then stored at 41F (5C) or lower and is later used to make meat sauce, the meat sauce must be labeled with the discard date of the ground beef. 6-17

General Storage Guidelines Discard food that has passed the manufacturer’s expiration date Ready-to-eat TCS food that was prepared in-house: Can be stored for 7 days at 41°F (5°C) or lower Must be thrown out after 7 days 6-18

General Storage Guidelines Rotate food to use the oldest inventory first One way to rotate products is to follow FIFO: Identify the food item’s use-by or expiration date Store items with the earliest use-by or expiration dates in front of items with later dates Use items 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. 6-19

General Storage Guidelines Deplete stored product on a regular basis If product is not sold or consumed by a specified date: Throw it out Clean and sanitize the container Refill the container with fresh food Instructor Notes Establish a schedule to ensure that stored product is depleted on a regular basis. For example, flour stored in plastic bins should be used within 12 months from the time it was placed in the bins. After 12 months, throw out the remaining flour and clean and sanitize the bins. Then refill the bins with new flour. 6-20

General Storage Guidelines Temperatures Keep cold TCS food at 41°F (5°C) or lower Keep hot TCS food at 135°F (57°C) or higher Check the temperature of stored food and storage areas at the start of the shift 6-21

General Storage Guidelines Product Placement Store food in containers intended for food Containers should be: Durable Leak proof Sealed or covered Store food, linens, and single-use items in designated storage areas Away from walls At least 6” (15 centimeters) off the floor Instructor Notes Never use empty food containers to store chemicals or put food in empty chemical containers. 6-22

General Storage Guidelines Cleaning Keep all storage areas clean and dry Clean up spills and leaks right away Clean dollies, carts, transporters, and trays often Store food in containers that have been cleaned and sanitized Store dirty linens in a clean, washable container Instructor Notes Floors, walls, and shelving in refrigerators, freezers, dry-storage areas, 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. 6-23

Refrigerated and Frozen Storage Maintenance Schedule regular maintenance to make sure coolers and freezers stay at the right temperature Defrost freezers to allow them to operate more efficiently 6-24

Refrigerated and Frozen Storage Temperatures Set the temperature of coolers to keep the internal temperature of TCS food at 41°F (5°C) or lower Set freezer temperatures to keep food frozen 6-25

Refrigerated and Frozen Storage Monitoring Monitor food temperatures regularly Randomly sample the temperature of stored food with a calibrated thermometer Check cooler temperatures at least once per shift Instructor Notes Randomly sample the temperature of stored food to verify that the cooler is working. Check cooler temperatures at least once during each shift. Place hanging thermometers inside the cooler to make this task easy to do. Some coolers have a temperature readout on the outside. Also check these for accuracy. 6-26

Refrigerated and Frozen Storage Airflow Do NOT overload coolers or freezers Keep cooler doors closed as much as possible Use open shelving Instructor Notes Do not overload coolers or freezers. Storing too many food items prevents good airflow and makes the units work harder to stay cold. Lining shelves with aluminum foil, sheet pans, or paper restricts circulation of cold air in the unit. 6-27

Refrigerated and Frozen Storage Preventing Cross-Contamination Wrap or cover food Store refrigerated raw meat, poultry, and seafood separately from ready-to-eat food Instructor Notes Raw meat, poultry, and seafood should be stored separately from ready-to-eat food. If these items cannot be stored separately, then store them below ready-to-eat food. This will prevent juices from raw food from dripping onto ready-to-eat food. 6-28

Refrigerated and Frozen Storage Preventing Cross-Contamination Store food items in the following top-to-bottom order: Ready-to-eat food Seafood Whole cuts of beef and pork Ground meat and ground fish Whole and ground poultry Instructor Notes The order for storing the food items indicated in the slide is based upon the minimum internal cooking temperature of each food. 6-29

Dry Storage Keep storerooms: Store dry food: Cool: 50°F to 70°F (10°C to 21°C) Dry Well ventilated Store dry food: Away from walls At least 6” (15 centimeters) off the floor Instructor Notes To keep food at its highest quality and to assure food safety, the temperature of the dry storage area should be between 50°F and 70°F (10°C and 21°C). Good ventilation in dry-storage areas will help keep temperature and humidity constant. 6-30

Prepping Specific Food To package fresh juice for later sale: The juice must be treated (e.g., pasteurized) according to an approved HACCP plan As an alternative, the juice must be labeled as specified by federal regulation 7-11

Prepping Specific Food To avoid contaminating ice: Never use ice as an ingredient if it was used to keep food cold Transfer ice using clean and sanitized containers and scoops Never hold ice in containers that held raw meat, seafood, poultry, or chemicals Instructor Notes Make ice from water that is safe to drink Never hold or carry ice in containers that have held raw meat, seafood, or poultry or chemicals. 7-12

Prepping Specific Food To avoid contaminating ice: continued Store ice scoops outside ice machines in a clean, protected location Never use a glass to scoop ice or touch ice with hands 7-13

Preparation Practices That Require a Variance You need a variance if prepping food in these ways: Smoking food to preserve it but not to enhance flavor Using food additives or components to preserve or alter food so it no longer needs time and temperature control for safety Curing food Instructor Notes A variance is a document issued by the regulatory authority that allows a requirement to be waived or changed. When applying for a variance, your regulatory authority may require you to submit a HACCP plan. The plan must account for any food safety risks related to the way you plan to prep the food item. Vinegar or other components are sometimes added to preserve or alter food so it no longer needs time and temperature control for safety. 7-14

Preparation Practices That Require a Variance You need a variance if prepping food in these ways: continued Custom-processing animals Packaging food using a reduced-oxygen packaging (ROP) method Sprouting seeds or beans Offering live, molluscan shellfish from a display tank Instructor Notes An example of custom-processing animals may include dressing deer in the operation for personal use. 7-15

Cooking Food When cooking TCS food, the internal portion must: Reach the required minimum internal temperature Hold that temperature for a specific amount of time Instructor Notes The only way to reduce pathogens in food to safe levels is to cook it to its required minimum internal temperature. This temperature is different for each food. If customers request that food items be cooked to temperatures lower than their minimum internal temperatures, you need to inform the customers of the potential risk of foodborne illness. Also be aware of special menu restrictions if you serve high-risk populations. While cooking reduces pathogens in food, it does not destroy spores or toxins they may have produced. You still must handle food correctly before you cook it. 7-16

Cooking Requirements for Specific Food Minimum internal cooking temperature: 165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds Poultry—whole or ground chicken, turkey or duck Stuffing made with TCS ingredients Stuffed meat, seafood, poultry, or pasta Dishes that include previously cooked, TCS ingredients 7-17

Cooking Requirements for Specific Food Minimum internal cooking temperature: 155°F (68°C) for 15 seconds Ground meat—beef, pork, and other meat Injected meat—including brined ham and flavor-injected roasts Ground seafood—including chopped or minced seafood Eggs that will be hot-held for service 7-18

Cooking Requirements for Specific Food Minimum internal cooking temperature: 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds Seafood—including fish, shellfish, and crustaceans Steaks/chops of pork, beef, veal, and lamb Eggs that will be served immediately 7-19

Cooking Requirements for Specific Food Minimum internal cooking temperature: 145°F (63°C) for 4 minutes Roasts of pork, beef, veal, and lamb 7-20

Cooking Requirements for Specific Food Minimum internal cooking temperature: 135°F (57°C) Commercially processed, ready-to-eat food that will be hot-held for service (cheese sticks, deep-fried vegetables) Fruit, vegetables, grains (rice, pasta), and legumes (beans, refried beans) that will be hot-held for service 7-21

Cooking TCS Food in the Microwave Minimum internal cooking temperature: 165°F (74°C) Meat Seafood Poultry Eggs 7-22

Cooking TCS Food in the Microwave When cooking food in a microwave: Cover it to prevent the surface from drying out Rotate or stir it halfway through cooking so heat reaches the food more evenly Let it stand for at least 2 minutes after cooking to let the food temperature even out Check the temperature in at least 2 places to make sure the food is cooked through 7-23

Consumer Advisories If your menu includes TCS items that are raw or undercooked, you must: Note it on the menu next to the items Advise customers who order this food of the increased risk of foodborne illness Post a notice in the menu Provide this information using brochures, table tents, or signs 7-24

Operations That Mainly Serve High-Risk Populations Never serve: Raw seed sprouts Raw or undercooked eggs, meat, or seafood Instructor Notes Examples or raw or undercooked eggs, meat, or seafood include over-easy eggs, raw oysters on the half shell, and rare hamburgers. 7-25

Cooling Food Cooling Requirements Instructor Notes First, cool food from 135˚F to 70˚F (57˚C to 21˚C) within two hours. Then cool it to 41˚F (5˚C) or lower in the next four hours. If food has not reached 70˚F (21˚C) within two hours, it must be thrown out or reheated and then cooled again. 7-26

Cooling Food If you cool food from 135˚F to 70˚F (57˚C to 21˚C) in less than 2 hours: Use the remaining time to cool it to 41˚F (5˚C) or lower The total cooling time cannot be longer than 6 hours Example: If you cool food from 135˚F to 70˚F (57˚C to 21˚C) in 1 hour Then you have 5 hours to get the food to 41˚F (5˚C) or lower 7-27

Methods for Cooling Food Before cooling food, start by reducing its size: Cut larger items into smaller pieces Divide large containers of food into smaller containers or shallow pans 7-28

Methods for Cooling Food Safe Methods for Cooling Food Place it in an ice-water bath Stir it with an ice paddle Place it in a blast chiller Place it in a tumble chiller Instructor Notes Never place large quantities of hot food in a cooler to cool. Coolers are designed to keep cold food cold. Most are not designed to cool hot food quickly. Also, placing hot food in a cooler or freezer to cool it may not move the food through the temperature danger zone quickly enough. After dividing food into smaller containers, place them in a clean prep sink or a large pot filled with ice water. Stir the food frequently to cool it faster and more evenly. Plastic paddles are available that can be filled with ice or with water and then frozen. Food stirred with these paddles will cool quickly. Food cools even faster when placed in an ice-water bath and stirred with an ice paddle. Blast chillers blast cold air across food at high speeds to remove heat. They are typically used to cool large amounts of food. Tumble chillers tumble bags of hot food in cold water. Tumble chillers work well on thick food such as mashed potatoes. Food can also be cooled by adding ice or cold water as an ingredient. This works for soups, stews, and other recipes that have water as an ingredient. When cooling this way, the recipe is made with less water than required. Cold water or ice is then added after cooking to cool the food and provide the remaining water. 7-29

Reheating Food Food Reheated for Immediate Service Can be reheated to any temperature if it was cooked and cooled correctly Food Reheated for Hot-Holding Must be reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds within 2 hours 7-30