THE FLOW OF FOOD : STORAGE

Chapter Contents:
General Storage Guidelines
Types of Storage
Storage Techniques
Storing Specific Food
INTRODUCTION
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.

Label food. All ready-to-eat TCS food prepared on site that has been held for longer than twenty-four
hours must be properly labeled. The label must include the name of the food and the date it should be sold,
consumed or discarded. If an item has been previously cooked and stored and is later mixed with another
food item to make a new dish, the label on the dish must indicate the discard date for the previously
cooked item. For example, if ground beef has been cooked and stored at 5 oC or lower and later used to
make meat sauce, the meat sauce must be labeled with the discard date of the ground beef.
Rotate products to ensure that the oldest inventory is used first. The first in, first out (FIFO) method is
commonly used to ensure that refrigerated, frozen and dry products are properly rotated during storage. By
this method, a products use-by or expiration date is first identified. The products are then stored to ensure
that the oldest are used first.
Discard food that has passed its expiration date. All ready-to-eat TCS food that has been prepared inhouse can be stored for a maximum of seven days at 5oC or lower before it must be thrown out.
Create a schedule to throw out stored food on a regular basis. If a food item has not been sold or used
by a specific date, throw it out, clean and sanitize the container, and refill the container with fresh product.
Store food in containers intended for food. The containers should be durable, leak-proof, and able to be
sealed or covered. Never use empty food containers to store chemicals. Never put food in empty chemical
containers.
Keep TCS food at 5oC or lower, or at 57oC or higher. Store deliveries as soon as they have been
inspected. Take out only as much food as you can prepare at one time, and 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.
Store food, linens, and single-use items in designated storage areas. These items should be stored
away from walls and at least six inches off the floor. Do not store food near chemicals or cleaning supplies.
Store dirty linens in a clean, washable container in a way that prevents the contamination of food.
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.

TYPES OF STORAGE
Refrigerated Storage. These areas are typically used to hold TCS food at 5 oC or lower. Refrigeration
slows the growth of microorganisms and helps keep them from growing to levels high enough to cause
illness.

Frozen Storage. These areas are used to hold frozen food at temperatures that will keep it frozen.
Freezing doesnt kill all microorganisms, but it does slow their growth substantially.
Dry Storage. These areas are used to hold dry and canned food. To maintain the quality of this food, drystorage areas should be kept at the appropriate temperature and humidity levels. Storerooms should be
clean, well ventilated, and well lighted.

Managers should monitor storage areas because improper storage practices can affect food safety. For
example, an overstocked refrigerator may not be able to hold the proper temperature and may not allow stock
to be rotated properly.
Storage spaces should also be located to ease the flow of food through the operation and to prevent
food contamination. They must be accessible to receiving, food-preparation, and cooking areas but located so
that food is stored away from dishwashing and garbage areas.
STORAGE TECHNIQUES
*Refrigerated Storage
Keeping food as cold as possible without freezing extends its shelf life, the amount of time food will
remain suitable for use. Ideal storage temperatures and shelf life will vary depending on food. Fruit and
vegetables will freeze if stored at temperatures ideal for seafood. Meat and poultry will have a shorter shelf life
if stored at temperatures better suited for produce. If possible, store food such as meat and poultry in separate
refrigerators to hold them at optimal temperatures. If this is impractical, store meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy
products in the coldest part of the unit, away from door.
Guidelines
Set refrigerators to the proper temperature. The setting must keep the internal temperature of the
food at 5oC or lower unless otherwise indicated by the manufacturer or your regulatory authority. At
least once during each shift, check the temperature of the unit. Use hanging thermometers in the
warmest part of the refrigerator. Some units have a readout panel outside to check the temperature
without opening the door. These should also be checked for accuracy.
Monitor food temperature regularly. Randomly sample the internal temperature of stored food using
a calibrated thermometer.
Schedule regular maintenance for refrigerators. This will help keep food at the right temperatures.
Do not overload refrigerators. Storing too many products prevents good airflow and makes unit work
harder to stay cold.
Use open shelving. Lining shelves with aluminum foil, sheet pans, or paper restricts circulation of cold
air in the unit.
Keep dry food out of direct sunlight.
STORING SPECIFIC FOOD
*Meat
Store meat immediately after delivery and inspection in its own storage unit or in the coldest part of the
refrigerator. Fresh meat must be held at an internal temperature of 5 oC or lower. Frozen meat should
be stored at a temperature that will keep it frozen.
If meat is removed from its original packaging, wrap it in airtight, moisture-proof material or place it in
clean and sanitized containers.
Primal cuts, quarters, sides of raw meat, and slab bacon can be hung on clean and sanitized hooks or
can be placed on sanitized racks. To prevent cross-contamination, do not store meat above any other
food.
*Poultry
Store fresh raw poultry at an internal temperature of 5 oC or lower. Frozen poultry should be stored at
temperatures that will keep it frozen. If it has been removed from its original packaging, place it in
airtight containers or wrap it in airtight material.


*Fish

Ice-packed poultry can be stored in a refrigerator as is. Use containers that are self-draining. Change
the ice, and sanitize the container often.

Fresh fish is very sensitive to time-temperature abuse and can deteriorate quickly if handled
improperly:
Store fresh fish at an internal temperature of 5oC or lower. Keep fillets and steaks in original packaging,
or tightly wrap them in moisture-proof materials, Fresh, whole fish can be packed in flaked or crushed
ice, and ice beds must be self-draining. Change the ice and clean and sanitize the container regularly.
Store frozen fish at temperatures that will keep it frozen.
*Shellfish
Store live shellfish in its original container at an air temperature of 5 oC or lower. Shellstock
identification tags must be kept on file for ninety days from the date the last shellfish was sold or
served from the container.
Live, molluscan shellfish (clams, oysters, mussels, scallops) can be stored in a display tank under one
of two conditions:
1. The tank carries a sign stating that the shellfish are for display only.
2. For shellfish to be served to customers, a variance must be obtained from the local health
department. To obtain a variance, a HACCP plan must be submitted showing that:
a. Water from other tanks will not flow into the display tank
b. Using the display tank will not affect product quality or safety
c. Shellstock ID tags have been retained as required
Store shucked shellfish at an internal temperature of 5oC or lower.
*Eggs
Eggs received at an air temperature of 7oC, in compliance with laws governing their shipment from
suppliers, must be placed immediately after inspection in refrigeration equipment capable of
maintaining an air temperature of 7oC or lower. Maintain constant temperature and humidity levels in
refrigerators used to store eggs.
Do not wash eggs before storing them, because they are washed and sanitized at the packing facility.
Use the FIFO method of stock rotation. Plan to use all eggs within four to five weeks of the packing
date.
Keep shell eggs in cold storage right up until the time they are used. Take out only as many eggs as
are needed for immediate use.
Store frozen egg products at temperatures that will keep them frozen.
Store liquid eggs according to the manufacturers recommendations.
Dried egg products can be stored in a cool, dry storeroom. Once they are reconstituted (mixed with
water), store them in the refrigerator at 5 oC or lower. Do not reconstitute more dried egg product than
is needed for immediate use.
*Dairy Products
Store dairy products at 5oC or lower.
Always use the FIFO method of stock rotation. Discard products if they have passed their use-by or
expiration dates.
*Fresh Produce
Cut melons, cut tomatoes and cut leafy greens must be stored at 5 oC or lower, because they are TCS
food.
Other fruit and vegetables have various temperature requirements for storage. While many whole, raw
fruit and vegetables can be stored at 5oC or lower, not all will be stored at this temperature.
Fruit and vegetables kept in the refrigerator can dry out quickly, keep the relative humidity at 85 to 95
percent.
Although most produce can be stored in the refrigerator, avocados, bananas, pears, and tomatoes
ripen best at room temperature.
Most produce should not be washed before storage. Moisture promotes the growth of mold in many
instances. Instead, wash produce before preparing or serving it.

When soaking or storing produce in standing water or an ice-water slurry, do not mix different items or
multiple batches of the same item.
Store whole citrus fruits, hard-rind squash, eggplant, and root vegetablessuch as potatoes, sweet
potatoes, rutabagas, and onionsin a cool, dry storeroom. Temperatures of 16 oC to 21oC are best.
Make sure containers are well ventilated. Store onions away from other vegetables that might absorb
odor.
*Canned Goods
Store canned goods at a temperature between (10 oC to 21oC). Even canned food spoils over time.
Higher storage temperatures may shorten shelf life. Acidic food, such as canned tomatoes, does not
last long as food low in acid. The acid can also form pinholes in the metal over time.
Discard damaged cans.
Keep storerooms dry. Too much moisture will cause cans to rust.
Wipe cans clean with a sanitized cloth before opening them to help prevent dirt from falling into the
contents of the can.
*Dry Food
Store dry food at a temperature between 10oC to 21oC.
Keep flour, cereal, and grain products such as pasta or crackers in airtight containers. They can
quickly become stale in a humid room and can become moldy if there is too much moisture.
Before using dry food, check containers or packages for damage from insects or rodents. Cereal and
grain products are favorite targets for these pests.
Salt and sugar, if stored in the right conditions, can be held almost indefinitely.