LESSON 4: RECEIVING/STORING/ROTATION

Maintaining Temperature

Most items ordered for the Service Deli are shipped chilled, but a good amount is also shipped frozen. Chill (refrigerated) is 40°F and below. Frozen is 20°F and below.

Receiving

• Upon receiving your products, confirm they are received at the proper temperature.
• An infrared handheld thermometer is recommended and should be used to ensure the items are at the correct temperature to maintain product integrity.

Storage

• Once your loads are received, they should be promptly put away into their proper storage areas: Dry, Refrigerator, or Freezer.
  
  

Temperature Log

• A temperature log should be kept, and temperatures should be logged onto the sheet every two hours.
• This should be done in your key storage areas, walk-in refrigerator, freezer, Service Deli case, and refrigerated self-service display cases daily.
• All refrigerated service and self-service cases should have a thermometer attached, and readings should be taken and logged every two hours.
  

The benefit of keeping temperature logs

• They will help you identify a problem with refrigeration quickly.
• They will help prevent product loss due to improper temperature.
• Stay out of the DANGER ZONE.
  
  

Rotation – Practice First In, First Out (FIFO)

• FIFO means “first in first out” and simply means you need to label food with the dates they are received.
• Rotate the dated items in front or on top so that you use them first. This system allows you to find food quickly and store it more efficiently.
• This should be practiced inside the Service Deli meat case as well.
• Salads generally will have a 3 – 7 days shelf-life once opened. Products with no preservatives have a shelf-life of 3 days, and products with preservatives last usually 5 -- 7 days, depending on the manufacturer’s suggestions.
• Entrée items usually have a 3-5-day shelf-life and should be marked on the bottom of platter to ensure products are fresh. Chicken has a shelf-life of 3 days; beef and/or vegetable products would be 3 to 5 days, again based on the manufacturer’s suggest shelf life.
  
  

Cleaning

• Develop a cleaning schedule to clean walk-ins, freezers, refrigerated self- service cases, and Service Deli cases.