1. Produce Safety University: Take Home Training for Professional Standards
Receiving and Storing

2. Objectives
At the end of this training session, participants will be able to:
Identify best practices for receiving fresh produce.
Identify best practices for storing fresh produce.
Discuss how ethylene gas affects the storage of ethylene sensitive fruits and vegetables.

3. Receiving Produce Before the delivery truck leaves:
Inspect based on specifications
Check temperatures for refrigerated produce
Check produce “best if used by” dates
Check quality and quantity against your specifications and order
Reject produce that does not meet your standards

4. Receiving Produce Receive based on specifications Size Count
Quality or grade
Appearance
Quantity ordered

5. Receiving Produce

6. Receiving Produce
Check temperatures for refrigerated produce, including fresh-cut produce
Infrared thermometer
Probe thermometer
Clean and sanitize before touching produce
Do not pierce sealed plastic bags
Calibrate

7. Receiving Produce Check dates on fresh-cut produce
“Best if used by” date
Specification should identify number of days between delivery and date of receipt
Produce quality and appearance should aid in determining shelf life
Maximum shelf life based on ideal conditions

8. Receiving Produce Staff should reject produce if:
Specifications are not met
Evidence of product abuse
Evidence of pests
Provide staff training
Accepting poor quality affects
eye appeal of fresh fruits and
vegetables!

9. Receiving/Storing Produce
Date and store immediately
Use FIFO
Traceability

10. Receiving Fresh Produce Video

11. Storing Produce Storage Conditions: Refrigerated or dry Shelf life
Protection from contamination or damage
Traceability

12. Storing Produce Shelf life
Depends on quality and condition at receiving
Depends on storage temperature
Refrigerator
Dry

13. Ethylene Gas
Ethylene gas is naturally produced by some produce items, but it may cause these negative affects in Ethylene sensitive produce:
russet spotting of lettuce (brown streaks)
yellowing of broccoli, cucumber, and spinach
decreased shelf life
bitter tasting carrots

14. Ethylene Gas Store fruits and vegetables away from one another
Separate refrigerators are ideal, but not always practical

15. Storing Produce First In, First Out (FIFO)
First Expired, First Out (FEFO)
Inventory rotation system

16. Storing Produce Protect from contamination
Store 6 inches off the floor
Store above raw meat, poultry, and eggs

17. Storing Fresh Produce Video
                               

18. Refrigeration Temperatures
Take and record temperatures at least every 24 hours
Take corrective actions as necessary
Maintain quality and safety of products

19. Storing Produce Traceability Document & maintain record of:
Date product received
Name of supplier
Quantity received
Brands/markings
Product code, lot number, pack dates

20. Activities and Discussion

21. What went wrong? What went right?
In the following videos, we will show proper and improper receiving and storage practices
In the What Went Wrong video, identify the improper practices
In the What Went Right video, identify what the staff is doing right and the improvements that were made from the What Went Wrong Video
You will be asked to discuss your observations after each video

22. Receiving: What Went Wrong?
                               

23. Receiving: What Went Right?
               

24. Storing: What Went Wrong?
                            

25. Storing: What Went Right?