RECEIVING AND STORING FOOD

RECEIVING FOOD

1 G E N E R AL P R I N CI P L E S
Part of ensuring that food is kept safe and free from contamination is to ensure that the
food you receive into your business is safe and suitable. Under Standard 3.2.2 of the
Australia New Zealand Food Safety Standards, food businesses are required to make sure
that the food they receive:

• comes from a known supplier

• is protected from contamination

• arrives at a safe temperature.

There are a number of actions that should be taken when receiving food to make sure that
it is safe. These include:

• having someone onsite to check the food as it is received

• checking food against the order form to make sure the order is correct

• checking the packaging or covering of food to make sure it isn’t damaged

• checking use by dates to make sure the food is still in date

• checking there is no mould, insects, droppings or foreign objects (like glass or metal)
in the food

• checking potentially hazardous foods to ensure they are delivered at the correct
temperature:
o frozen foods have not thawed
o chilled food has reached dangerous temperature zone.

2 P O T EN T I A L L Y H AZ AR D O U S F O O D S
For potentially hazardous foods, it is important to follow specific procedures when
receiving food as follows:

• Check frozen food is still frozen hard when it is delivered.

• Check chilled food is still at 5°C or colder when it is delivered.

• Check hot food is 60°C or hotter when it is delivered.

• Ensure that food is kept under constant temperature control from point of delivery.
If you do accept food between 5°C and 60°C, it is essential that you check that delivery
times have not exceeded the mandated safe times. To do this, check departure and arrival
times.

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 RECEIVING AND STORING FOOD

STORING FOOD

1 G E N E R AL P R I N CI P L E S
Food must be stored in a way that keeps it safe and suitable. This is also a requirement
under Standard 3.2.2. Food Safety Practices and General requirements.
Food which is not correctly stored can spoil or become contaminated, which can then
cause illness.
Food storage refers to food which is kept in a storage area such as a cupboard, a fridge or
a freezer. There are also rules about the temperatures that food must be stored at.

2 FOOD TYPES
Food types can be broken down into three groups and each group has specific storage
requirements. The groups and some examples of foods that fall into them are provided
below. Note that some foods will cross into other groups as they can be stored in different
ways.

Dry goods: • Pasta • Vegetables

• Cereal • Rice

• Tinned products • Flour

• Fruit • Packaged foods

Chilled goods • Cheese • Butter

• Raw meats • Fruit

• Fish/seafood • Vegetables

Frozen goods • Ice cream • Meat

• Fish/seafood

3 S T O R A G E C O N D IT IO N S
Each food type has different storage requirements including:

• temperature

• humidity

• moisture

• exposure to sunlight.

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 RECEIVING AND STORING FOOD

Dry goods
Dry goods can include items such as cereals, flour, rice, dried pasta, fruit and vegetables,
tinned products and packaged foods. Dry goods should be:

• stored in an area that is dry, cool, ventilated and vermin proof

• protected from exposure to direct sunlight and moisture

• stored separate based on food groups

• stored off the floor

• stored in areas that have a temperature of between 11°C and 18°C.

Chilled goods
Chilled goods can include meat, poultry, dairy, seafood, eggs, fruit and vegetables as well
as ready-to-eat foods such as casseroles, quiche, pasta salad, pizza, sandwiches and
many cakes.
These foods must be stored at below 5°C in order to stop them entering the temperature
danger zone.
It is important to monitor the temperature of the fridge so that you can be sure that the
fridge is at the right temperature.
Some important things to remember when storing products in the fridge are:

• develop and follow a ‘first in first out’ (FIFO) system for refrigerated food

• designate areas in the refrigerator for certain items

• never leave the refrigerator door open longer than needed

• store raw products below cooked or ready-to-eat products

• never put hot foods in the fridge

• use protective coverings

• soft fruits should not be stored too long

• be aware of special storage problems; for example, bananas stored in the refrigerator
turn black quickly and should ideally not be stored in the fridge

• fresh meat must not be kept too long

• boned meat should be kept no longer than three days

• individual meat cuts should be used within two days, preferably on the day they are
cut.

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 RECEIVING AND STORING FOOD

F r o z e n g oo d s
Freezing food makes it last longer because the water content of the food freezes and this
process prevents bacteria.
However, freezing food does not get rid of bacteria, therefore when the food thaws, the
bacteria will begin growing and multiplying again.
Food should be kept frozen at –18 °C. When thawing frozen food, it should be stored in the
fridge at below 5°C until it is ready to be prepared.
Just like fridges, freezers should be equipped with thermometers so you can check and
record the temperatures. This means you know the equipment is working properly and
food is being kept out of the danger zone.
It is also important to not refreeze food that has already been frozen and thawed. Food
that is frozen again is more likely to have a higher bacteria count.
Keep raw and cooked foods separate in the freezer, as well as storing cooked food above
raw food to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

4 F I R S T I N / F I R ST O UT ( F I F O )
The FIFO method is exactly as per its name: use the food item that was received or
brought in first so it is the first out. This will generally be those with the more recent use by
or best before dates. When food is received and stored, you should:

• make sure foods with the most recent use by and best before dates are at the front of
the storage area

• look for any foods that are out of date or show signs of contamination or damage

• place newly received items at the rear

• the food items at the front are used first.

This process shows why it is so important to make sure all food items, whether they are in
dry storage, the freezer or the fridge/cool room are labelled accurately.

WHAT’S COOKING?

Practice receiving and storing goods. Your trainer will provide each small group with a range of
items to receive and store.
Receive and store the goods. At the end of the activity tell the rest of the group how you did this.

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 RECEIVING AND STORING FOOD

STORAGE CONDITIONS FOR DIFFERENT FOOD TYPES

1 T E MP E R AT U R E
Beverages 0–5°C (refrigerator/cool room)

Hard cheese 0–5°C (refrigerator/cool room)

Ice cream –18°C (freezer)

Eggs 0–5°C (refrigerator/cool room)

Butter 0–5°C (refrigerator/cool room)

Portioned meat 0–5°C (refrigerator/cool room)

Minced meat/processed meat 0–5°C (refrigerator/cool room)

Frozen meat –18°C (freezer)

Fresh poultry 0–5°C (refrigerator/cool room)

Frozen poultry –18°C (freezer)

Fresh seafood 0–5°C (refrigerator/cool room)

Frozen seafood –18°C (freezer)

Vegetables (tinned) 11–18°C (dry store)

Farinaceous items (dry) 11–18°C (dry store)

Farinaceous items (fresh) 0–5°C (refrigerator/cool room)

See link provided on the next page for the temperatures and storage conditions of a range of fruits
and vegetables.

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 RECEIVING AND STORING FOOD

2 S H EL F L I FE
Hard cheese 4–6 months

Ice cream 2–6 months

Eggs 3–6 weeks

Butter 2–4 weeks

Fresh portioned meat 2–4 days

Fresh minced meat/processed meat 3 days

Frozen meat Steak: 6–12 months; sausage meat: 1–2 months,

uncooked; roast: 4–12 months; minced meat: 3–4
months); chops: 4–12 months; lunch meat: 3–4
months

Fresh poultry 2–4 days

Frozen poultry 1 year (whole poultry); 9 months (pieces)

Fresh seafood 1–3 days

Frozen seafood 2–8 months (fish); 3–12 months (shellfish)

LIFT THE LID

A detailed guide on temperature and shelf life for a wide range of fruit and vegetables is provided at
this link:
https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/b79225ec-0136-4eb3-b4a3-
8e0bc221e725/resource/df0df8ce-f668-4ecf-a4f0-d1b3f4a4ea20/fs_download/storage-
temperatures.pdf

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