Chapter 6

The Flow of Food:

Purchasing and Receiving

6-1
Learning Objectives

At the end of the chapter the participants must

be able to:
 Identify an approved food source
 Identify accept and reject criteria for:
 Meat and poultry  Canned goods & other
dry food
 Seafood
 Ready-to-eat food
 Milk & dairy products
 Eggs  Frozen food

 Fruit & vegetables  Bakery goods

6-2
Suppliers

Choose suppliers who get product from

approved sources

Approved sources:
 Have been inspected
 Are in compliance with applicable local, state and
federal law

6-3
General Receiving Principles

When Receiving Food:

 Schedule deliveries for off-

peak hours
 Receive only one delivery
at a time
 Make sure enough trained
staff are available
 Inspect deliveries
immediately and carefully

6-4
General Receiving Principles

When Receiving Food: continued

 Use calibrated thermometers to sample temperatures
 Check shipments for:
 Intact packaging
 Refreezing
 Prior wetness
 Pest infestation

6-5
Checking the Temperature of Various Types of Food

Meat, Poultry, Fish

 Insert the thermometer stem or probe into the
thickest part of the product (usually the center)

ROP and Bulk Food:

 Insert the thermometer stem or probe between two
packages
 As an alternative fold packaging around the
thermometer stem or probe
Other Packaged Food:
 Open the package and insert the thermometer stem or
probe into the product

6-6
Receiving Criteria for Meat

Accept
Temperature: 41F (5C) or lower
Color:
 Beef: bright cherry red

 Lamb: light red

 Pork: light pink meat, firm white fat
Texture: firm and springs back when touched
Odor: no odor
Packaging: intact and clean

6-7
Receiving Criteria for Meat

Reject
Temperature: > 41F (5C)
Color:
 Beef: brown or green

 Lamb: brown, whitish surface covering the lean meat

 Pork: excessively dark color, soft or rancid fat

Texture: slimy, sticky, or dry

Odor: sour odor
Packaging: broken cartons, dirty wrappers, torn
packaging, vacuum packaging with broken seals

6-8
Receiving Criteria for Poultry

Accept
Temperature: 41F (5C) or lower
Color: no discoloration
Texture: firm and springs back when touched
Odor: no odor
Packaging: product should be surrounded by
crushed, self-draining ice

6-9
Receiving Criteria for Poultry

Reject
Temperature: > 41F (5C)
Color: purple or green discoloration around the neck;
dark wing tips (red tips are acceptable)
Texture: stickiness under wings or around joints
Odor: abnormal, unpleasant odor

6-10
Receiving Criteria for Fish

Accept
Temperature: 41F (5C) or lower
Color: bright red gills; bright shiny skin
Texture: firm flesh that springs back when touched
Odor: mild ocean or seaweed smell
Eyes: bright, clear, and full
Packaging: product should be surrounded by
crushed, self-draining ice

6-116-11
Receiving Criteria for Fish

Reject
Temperature: > 41F (5C)
Color: dull gray gills, dull dry skin
Texture: soft flesh that leaves an imprint when
touched
Odor: strong fishy or ammonia smell
Eyes: cloudy, red-rimmed, sunken

6-12
Receiving Criteria for Shellfish

Accept
Temperature:
 Live: receive on ice or at an air temperature of
45° F (7°C) or lower
 Shucked: receive at an internal temperature of
45° F (7°C) or lower

Odor: mild ocean or

seaweed smell
Shells: closed and unbroken (indicates shellfish are
alive)
Condition: if fresh, they are received alive

6-13
Receiving Criteria for Shellfish

Reject
Temperature:

 Live: air temperature > 45° F (7°C)

 Shucked: internal temperature > 45° F (7°C)

Texture: slimy, sticky, or dry

Odor: strong fishy smell
Shells: broken shells
Condition: dead on arrival (open shells that do not
close when tapped)

6-14
Receiving Criteria for Shell Eggs

Accept Reject
Temperature: Temperature:
receive at an air air temperature > 45F (7C)
temperature of 45F (7C)
or lower Odor: sulfur smell or off
odor
Odor: no odor
Shells: dirty or cracked
Shells: clean and
unbroken

6-15
Receiving Criteria for Dairy Products

Accept Reject
Temperature: 41F Temperature: > 41F
(5C) or lower unless (5C), unless otherwise
otherwise specified by specified
law
Milk: sour, bitter, or moldy
Milk: sweetish flavor taste
Butter: sweet flavor, Butter: sour, bitter, or
uniform color, firm moldy taste; uneven color;
texture soft texture
Cheese: typical flavor, Cheese: abnormal flavor
texture, and uniform or texture, uneven color,
color unnatural mold

6-16
Receiving Criteria for Fresh Produce

Accept Reject
Conditions: vary Conditions: grounds for
according rejecting one produce item
to produce item; only may not apply to another;
accept items that signs of spoilage include:
show no sign
of spoilage  Insect infestation
 Mold and cuts
 Wilting and mushiness
 Discoloration and dull
appearance
 Unpleasant odors and
tastes
Reject fresh-cut produce items that have passed their
expiration date.
6-17
Receiving Criteria for Refrigerated Ready-To-Eat Food

Accept Reject
Temperature: Temperature:
41F (5C) or lower > 41F (5C) unless
unless specified by otherwise specified
the manufacturer
Packaging: torn
Packaging: intact packages or packages
and in good condition with holes; expired
product use-by dates

6-18
Receiving Criteria for Frozen Processed Food

Accept Reject
Temperature: Temperature: food that is not
frozen food should frozen; ice cream at
be received frozen; temperatures
ice cream should > 6°F to 10°F (–14°C to –12°C)
be received at 6°F
to 10°F (–14°C to – Packaging: torn packages or
12°C) packages with holes; fluids or
frozen liquids in case bottoms,
Packaging: intact ice crystals or water stains on
and in good packaging (evidence of
condition thawing and refreezing)
Product: large ice crystals on
product (evidence of thawing
and refreezing)

6-19
Receiving Criteria for Canned Food

Accept Reject
Can: can and seal Can: swollen ends,
are in good leaks and flawed
condition seals, rust, dents, no
labels
Product: normal
color, texture, odor Product: foamy,
milky, or has an
abnormal color,
texture, or odor

6-20
Receiving Criteria for Dry Food

Accept Reject
Packaging: intact Packaging: holes,
and in good condition tears, or punctures;
dampness or water
Product: normal color stains on outer cases
and odor and inner packaging
(indicates it has been
wet)
Product: abnormal
color or odor; spots of
mold, or slimy
appearance; contains
insects, insect eggs, or
rodent droppings

6-21
Receiving Criteria for Bakery Goods

Accept Reject
Temperature: Temperature:
receive at the temperatures higher than
temperature specified those specified by the
by the manufacturer manufacturer
Packaging: intact and Packaging: torn
in good condition packaging, signs of pest
damage
Product: signs of pest
damage, mold

6-22
Receiving Criteria for Potentially Hazardous Hot Food

Accept Reject
Temperature: Temperature:
135F (57C) or higher <135F (57C)
Container: able to Container: unable to
maintain proper maintain proper
temperatures; temperatures; damaged
undamaged

6-23
Apply Your Knowledge: Test Your Food Safety Knowledge

1. True or False: A delivery of fresh fish should be received at an

internal temperature of 41°F (5°C) or lower

2. True or False: Turkey should be rejected if the texture is firm

and springs back when touched

3. True or False: You should reject a delivery of frozen steaks

covered in large ice crystals

4. True or False: If a sack of flour is dry upon delivery, the

contents may still be contaminated

5. True or False: A supplier that has been inspected and is in

compliance with local, state, and federal law can be
considered an approved source

6-246-24
Apply Your Knowledge: Accept or Reject it?

Which products should be rejected?

1 Raw beef roasts that are bright red

2 Chicken received at an internal temperature of

50F (10C)
3 Eggs received at an air temperature of 45F
(7C)
4 Fresh salmon with flesh that springs back when
touched
5 Flour that is damp

6-256-25
Apply Your Knowledge: Accept or Reject it?

Which products should be rejected: continued

6 Live oysters that have a mild seaweed smell

7 Frozen meat with large ice crystals on the meat

and package
8
Clams with shells that do not close when tapped
9
Fresh turkey with dark wing tips

6-266-26