Storage Tips
Handling Tips
HACCP

Storage Tips

• Set freezers to maintain a maximum temperature of 0°F. This usually means a -10°F temperature setting to allow for defrost cycling. Check temperature periodically during the day.
• Frozen foods should be kept in the freezer until they are ready to be thawed or heated.
• Use "first-in, first-out" rotation, track vulnerable items by dating, and clearly mark all cartons so more sensitive items are not lost through extended storage.
• Follow the processor's directions and recommendations for tempering and reconstitution. Adjust the timing, if necessary, then post and enforce timing schedules for each item.
• Prepare food for reconstitution either below or above the 40°F-140°F temperature range which promotes bacterial growth.
• Do not refreeze thawed frozen food.
• Create food production systems that correlate usage and defrosting to minimize thawed leftovers. This may include purchasing smaller sized packs rather than bulk packages.
• Schedule cleaning of the freezer on a regular basis to prevent transfer of "off" tastes and odors.
• Avoid damaging cartons in any way, or stacking frozen products near warm or non-insulated surfaces.
• Keep product away from the walls of a freezer to maintain proper airflow.
• Regularly defrost the freezer to allow the maintenance of temperatures necessary to properly preserve frozen foods.

Back to top

Handling Tips

• Wash hands with soap and water before and after preparing foods. Wash them after handling raw meat or poultry and before handling ready-to-eat food.
• Avoid handling food when ill, or if you have cuts or sores on your hands.
• To prevent cross-contamination:
  • Keep raw meats and poultry separate from other foods. Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood on the bottom shelf of the walk-in to prevent dripping.
  • Clean and disinfect cutting boards and kitchen surfaces after preparing food. Clean them after handling raw meat, poultry or fish before they are used again for other foods.
  • When barbecuing or cooking meat, use a different plate and utensils for cooked food than the ones that were used for the raw food.
• Cook foods to the proper internal temperature; check for doneness with a thermometer.
• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold after they are prepared.
• Do not leave food out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
• Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly in shallow containers or tightly wrapped bags.

Back to top

HACCP
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) is a comprehensive food safety and self-inspection system that goes beyond routing inspections of equipment and appearance, and helps uncover and solve dangerous defects in food handling. HACCP looks at the flow of potentially hazardous foods - the path that food travels throughout the food service operation - recipe development, delivery of products, storage, preparation, holding or displaying, servicing, cooling and storing leftovers for the following day, and reheating foods. Each step of the process poses the risk of contamination due to mishandling. The seven primary stages of a HACCP program include:

1. Conduct a hazard analysis. The food production process is analyzed to identify steps where hazards could occur, determine their severity (including human health risks) and devise a preventative measure.
2. Identify the critical control points. These are the areas in the food production system (from the farm to the table) where the potential danger could be easily controlled or eliminated.
3. Institute control measures and establish criteria to measure control. One way to do this is to establish minimum cooking times and the optimal temperature to properly cook food.
4. Monitor and record critical control points. Assign specific responsibilities to employees to regularly review production states that are critical points in the food safety process.
5. Take corrective action and record action taken when criteria are not being met. This could be as simple as disposing of a specific quantity of unacceptable food products, or as complex as re-examining and restructuring the entire process.
6. Establish effective record-keeping procedures that document the system's performance. It is imperative to accurately document daily records. This provides a genuine track record of the plant's food safety performance to date.
7. Verify that the system is functioning properly and consistently. The preceding steps can only yield the desired results if they are regularly analyzed.
8. HACCP programs must be documented (i.e. recorded and kept on file).

Back to top