A case in point 2

ABC Seafood makes its usual Thursday afternoon delivery to the Fish House. John, a prep cook, is the only person in the kitchen when the driver rings the bell at the back door. The kitchen manager, who is in charge of receiving, is in a managers’ meeting. The chef is out on an errand, and the rest of the kitchen staff is on break, though some are still in the restaurant.

Johns follow the driver onto the dock, where the driver unloads two crates of ice-packed fresh fish, bags of live mussels, two buckets of live oysters, a case of shucked oysters in plastic containers, and a case each of frozen shrimp and frozen lobster tails. John goes back into the kitchen to get a bimetallic stemmed thermometer and remembers to look in the chef’s office for the copy of the order form. He takes both out to the dock and begins to inspect the shipment.

Johns checks the product against both the order sheet and the invoice, then begins to check product temperatures. First he puts thermometer stem between the packages in the cases of frozen shrimp and lobster. Then he checked the temperature of the shucked oysters by taking the cover off one container and inserting the thermometer stem into it. The thermometer reads 45F (7C), which worries him. He remembers being taught that refrigerated products should be 41F (5C) or lower. He decided not to say anything.

After wiping the thermometer stem on his apron, John checks the internal temperature of a whole fish packed in ice. Finally, he reaches into one of the buckets of live oysters with his hand to see if it feels cold. He notices a few mussels and oysters with open and broken shells. He removes those with broken shells, knowing the chef won’t use them.

John records all his findings on the order sheet he took from the chef’s office, signs for the delivery, and starts putting the products away. He first puts away the live shellfish, duping the few still left in the refrigerator into the new containers so there is room. Then he puts the shucked oysters and fresh fish in the refrigerator and the shrimp and lobster into the freezer.

What was done wrong? What could be result?

Discussion questions

1. What are some guidelines for receiving food safely?

2. How is thermometer calibrated using the ice-point method?

3. What are proper methods for checking the temperature of frozen food, fresh poultry delivered on ice, and bulk milk? What should the temperature be for each?

4. what are three conditions that would result in rejecting a shipment of fresh poultry?

5. What four types of external damage to cans are cause for rejection?

Multiple-choice study questions

1. Which is most important in choosing a food supplier?

   1. It meets your safety food standards

   2. Its prices are the lowest.

   3. Its warehouse is close to your establishment.

   4. It offers a convenient delivery schedule

2. When you receive a delivery of food, it is important that you

   1. refrigerate it before inspecting it.

   2. Inspect it before accepting it.

   3. Put it with other recent deliveries.

   4. Take it out of its original packaging before storing it.

3. Which of the following shipments should be rejected?

   1. Beef that is bright, cherry red in color

   2. Lamb with flesh that is firm and springs back when touched

   3. Fish that arrives with sunken eyes.

   4. Chicken received at 41F (5C)

4. How should whole, fresh salmon be packed for delivery and storage?

   1. Layered with salt

   2. Vacuum sealed

   3. Wrapped in dry, clean cloth

   4. Packed in self-draining crushed ice

5. Which condition would cause you to reject a shipment of live oysters?

   1. Most of the oysters have closed shells.

   2. The oysters have a mild seaweed scent.

   3. Most of the oysters shells are open and don’t close when they are tapped.

   4. The oysters are delivered with shellstock identification tags.

6. A box of sirloin steaks carries both a USDA inspection stamp and a USDA choice grading stamp. What do these stamps tell you?

   1. The farm that supplied the beef uses only USDA-certified animal feed.

   2. The meat and processing plant have met USDA standards, and the meat quality is acceptable.

   3. The meat wholesaler meets USDA quality-grading standards.

   4. The stakes are free of disease-causing microorganisms.

7. Which condition would cause you to reject a shipment of fresh chicken&

   1. The flesh is firm and springs back when touched.

   2. The wing tips are brown.

   3. The grading stamp is missing.

   4. The chicken is odorless.

8. To check the freshness of a delivery of shell eggs, you crack one onto a plate. What about the egg would tell you that you can accept the delivery?

   1. It has a sulfurous smell.

   2. The egg white doesn’t cling to a yolk.

   3. It comes out of its shell completely.

   4. The yolk is high and firm.

9. Statements from a dairy supplier’s sales brochure are listed below. Which statement should tell you not to hire this supplier?

   1. We make our cheese with only the freshest unpasteurized milk.

   2. From farm to you, our milk is kept at temperatures below 41F (5C).

   3. Money-back guarantee – our prices are the lowest in the area.

   4. We deliver according to your schedule and needs.

10. Which of the following food does not have to be received at 41F (5C) or lower&

    1. Beef

    2. Live shellfish

    3. Pork

    4. Fish

11. All of the following would be grounds for rejecting a case of frozen food except:

    1. There are large ice-crystals on the frozen food inside the case

    2. The outside of the case is water-stained

    3. The food in the box is frozen solid

    4. There is frozen liquid at the bottom of the case

12. Which delivery should be rejected?

    1. Several cans in case of peaches have torn labels.

    2. Several cans in case of tomato soup have swollen ends.

    3. A bag of oatmeal is delivered at 60F (16C).

    4. A case of rice is missing a USDA Inspection Stamp.

13. Which step for calibrating a thermometer using the ice-point method is incorrect&

    1. First, insert the thermometer stem or probe into a container of ice water.

    2. Second, wait thirty seconds or until the temperature indicator stops moving.

    3. Third, remove the thermometer stem or probe from the ice water.

    4. Finally, adjust the thermometer until it reads 32F (0C).

14. You have a thermocouple with several different types of probes. Which probe should you use to check the temperature of a large stock pot of soup?

    1. Penetration probe

    2. Surface probe

    3. Air probe

    4. Immersion probe

15. Your manager has asked you to purchase a new thermometer for the restaurant. Which type would not be a proper choice?

    1. Bimetallic stemmed thermometer accurate to 2F (1C)

    2. Thermistor

    3. Thermocouple

    4. Mercury-filled glass thermometer

Unit 6