Keeping food safe in storage

When food is stored improperly and not used in a timely manner, quality and safety suffer. Poor storage practices can cause food to spoil quickly with potentially serious results.

General storage guidelines

Every facility has a wide variety of products that need to be stored. A few general rules can be applied to most storage situations.

Follow the first in, first out (FIFO) method. Write the date on each product, indicating when it was received or prepared. Train employees to store products with the earliest use-by or expiration dates in front of products with later dates. Once items have been properly shelved, use those stored in front first. Make sure employees check the use-by or expiration date and discard products that have passed this date.

Keep potentially hazardous food out of the temperature danger zone. Store deliveries as soon as they have been inspected. Take out only as much food as you can prepare at one time. Put prepared food away until needed. Properly cool and store cooked food as soon as it is no longer needed.

Check temperatures of stored food and storage areas. Temperatures should be checked at the beginning of the shift. Many establishments use a preshift checklist to guide employees through this process.

Label food. Always label potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food with the date it should be sold, consumed or discarded. All food should clearly note the contents of the package. If you take food out of its original package, put it in a clean, sanitized food container with a tight-fitting lid. (Eggs and produce should be stored in their original containers.)

Keep all storage areas clean and dry. Floors, walls, and shelving in refrigerators, freezers, dry storerooms, and heated holding cabinets should be properly cleaned on a regular basis. Clean up spills and leaks right away to keep them from contaminating other food.

Clean dollies, carts, transporters, and trays often.

Store food only in designated storage areas. Do not store food products near chemicals or cleaning suppliers, in restrooms, locker rooms, janitor closets, furnace rooms or vestibules; or under stairways or pipes of any kind. Food can easily be contaminated in any of these areas.

Types of storage

An ideal facility has two types of storage areas: food storage and chemical storage. Food-storage areas include refrigerators, freezers, and dry storerooms. Chemical-storage areas are used to store cleaning suppliers and other chemicals.

Each storage area has a specific purpose. Operators should consider the design and management of storage space a priority since improperly used storage areas can cause problems. For example, an overstocked refrigerator may not be able to hold temperatures properly. Stock may not get rotated correctly, and there is a greater chance of cross-contamination.

Storage spaces should also be located to prevent food contamination. Food should be stored away from warewashing areas and garbage rooms. To ease the flow of food through the operating, storage areas must be accessible to receiving, food-preparation, and cooking areas.

Most restaurants and foodservice establishments have several types of storage areas in their facilities. The most common include:

Refrigerated storage. These areas are typically used to hold potentially hazardous food at 41F (5C) or lower. Refrigeration slows the growth of microorganisms and helps keep them from multiplying to levels high enough to cause illness. (Some jurisdiction allow food to be held at internal temperature of 45F (7C) or lower. Check with the local regulatory agency for specific regulations.)

Frozen storage. These areas are typically used to hold frozen food at 0F(-18C) or lower. Freezing does not kill all microorganisms, but it does slow their growth substantially. Frozen food should be used as quickly as possible.

Dry storage. These areas are used to hold dry and canned food. To maintain the quality of this food, dry-storage areas should be kept at the appropriate temperature and humidity levels. Storerooms should be clean, well-ventilated, and well-lighted.

Chemical storage. Cleaning tools and chemicals should be kept in their own storage area. Store these supplies away from food in clean, dry rooms or cabinets that can be locked.