The Flow of Food: Storage

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Apply Your Knowledge: Test Your Food Safety Knowledge

1. True or False: Potato salad that has been prepared in-house

and stored at 41°F (5°C) must be discarded after three days

2. True or False: Food can be stored near chemicals as long as

the chemicals are stored in sturdy, clearly labeled containers

3. True or False: Storing cans of tomatoes at 65°F (18°C) is

acceptable

4. True or False: Raw chicken must be stored below ready-to-

eat food, such as pumpkin pie, if it is stored in the same walk-
in refrigerator

5. True or False: If stored food has passed its expiration date, it

should be served at once

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General Storage Guidelines

Label Food
Potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food
prepared on-site must contain a label that
includes:
„ The name of the food
„ The date by which it should be sold,
consumed or discarded

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General Storage Guidelines

Rotate products to ensure the

oldest inventory is used first

One way to rotate products is

to follow FIFO:
„ Identify the use-by or expiration
date of products
„ Shelve products with the earliest
dates in front of those with later dates
„ Use products stored in front first

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General Storage Guidelines

Deplete stored product

on a regular basis

If product is not sold or consumed by a

predetermined date:
„ Throw it out
„ Clean and sanitize the container
„ Refill the container with new product

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General Storage Guidelines

Discard food that has passed the

manufacturer’s expiration date

Potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food

that was prepared in-house:
„ Can be stored for 7 days at 41°F (5°C)
or lower
„ Must be thrown out after 7 days

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General Storage Guidelines

Transfer food between

containers properly

If food is removed from its original package:

„ Put it in a clean, sanitized container
„ Cover it
„ Label the container with:
„ The name of the food
„ The original use-by or expiration date

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General Storage Guidelines

Keep potentially hazardous food

out of the temperature danger zone
„ Store deliveries after inspection
„ Take out only as much food
as can be prepared at one time
„ Put prepared food away
until needed
„ Properly cool and store cooked
food when it’s no longer needed

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General Storage Guidelines

Check temperatures of
stored food and storage areas

Photo courtesy of Roger Bonafield and Dingbats

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General Storage Guidelines

Store food in designated

storage areas

Do not store food:

„ Near chemicals or cleaning
supplies
„ In restrooms
„ In locker rooms
„ In janitor closets Never store food near chemicals
or cleaning supplies
„ In furnace rooms
„ Under stairways or pipes

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General Storage Guidelines

Keep all storage areas clean and dry

„ Clean up spills immediately
„ Clean dollies, carts, transporters, and trays
often

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Refrigerated Storage

Refrigerated Storage
„ Used to hold potentially
hazardous food at 41°F
(5°C) or lower
„ Slows the growth of
microorganisms

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Refrigerated Storage Guidelines

Set refrigerators to the

proper temperature
„ The setting must keep the
food at an internal temperature
of 41°F (5°C) or lower

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Refrigerated Storage Guidelines

Monitor food temperature regularly

„ Randomly sample the
internal temperature of
stored food with a
calibrated thermometer

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Refrigerated Storage Guidelines

Do not overload refrigerators

Storing too many products:
„ Prevents good airflow
„ Makes units work harder

Overloaded refrigerator

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Refrigerated Storage Guidelines

Use open shelving in the unit

Lining shelving with the following
restricts air circulation:
„ Aluminum foil
„ Sheet pans
„ Paper

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Refrigerated Storage Guidelines

Never place hot food in

refrigerators
„ This can warm the interior
and put other food into the
temperature danger zone

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Refrigerated Storage Guidelines

Keep refrigerator doors closed as

much as possible
„ Frequent opening lets warm air inside

Use cold curtains to help maintain

temperatures

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Refrigerated Storage Guidelines

Store raw meat, poultry, and fish:

„ Separately from cooked and
ready-to-eat food
OR

„ Below cooked and

ready-to-eat food

Improper Storage

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Refrigerated Storage Guidelines

Wrap food properly

„ Leaving it uncovered can lead to cross-contamination

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Apply Your Knowledge: Load the Fridge

Store each item on the proper storage shelf

2 C
Cooked and
A Whole, raw meat ready-to-eat food

B Raw poultry D Raw ground meat

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Frozen Storage Guidelines

When storing food in freezers:

„ Keep freezers at a temperature that will
keep products frozen
„ Check freezer temperatures regularly
„ Place deliveries in freezers as soon as
they have been inspected
„ Clearly label frozen food that was
prepared on site

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Dry Storage Guidelines

Keep storerooms:
„ Cool (50°F to 70°F [10°C to 21°C])
„ Dry (50% to 60% humidity)
„ Well ventilated
„ Clean

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Dry Storage Guidelines

When storing food in dry

storage keep it:
„ Away from walls
„ Out of direct sunlight
„ At least 6” (15 cm)
off the floor

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Storing Meat

When storing fresh meat:

„ Store it at an internal temperature
of 41°F (5°C) or lower
„ Wrap it in airtight, moisture-proof
material
OR

„ Place it in a clean, sanitized container

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Storing Poultry

When storing fresh poultry:

„ Store it at an internal temperature
of 41°F (5°C) or lower
„ Store ice-packed product as is
in self-draining containers
„ Change the ice often
„ Clean and sanitize the
container regularly

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Storing Fish

When storing fresh fish:

„ Store it at an internal temperature
of 41°F (5°C) or lower
„ Store ice-packed product as is
in self-draining containers
„ Keep fillets and steaks in original
packaging
„ Store frozen fish in moisture-proof
wrapping

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Storing Eggs and Egg Products

Shell Eggs:
„ Store at an air temperature
of 45°F (7°C) or lower
„ Keep eggs in refrigerated
storage until used
„ Use eggs within 4-5 weeks of
packing date

Liquid Eggs:
„ Store according to manufacturer’s
recommendations
„ Keep in refrigerated storage until used

Dried Eggs:
„ Store product in a dry, cool storeroom
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Storing Shellfish

When storing shellfish:

„ Store alive at an air temperature
of 45°F (7°C) or lower
„ Store in original containers
„ Keep shellstock tags on file for
90 days from the harvest date
of the shellfish
„ Obtain a variance if storing shellfish in
a display tank prior to service

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Storing Dairy

When storing dairy:

„ Store fresh at 41°F (5°C) or lower
„ Follow FIFO
„ Discard product that has passed
use-by or expiration dates

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Storing Produce

When storing fresh produce:

„ Storage temperatures will vary by
product
„ Product packed on ice can be stored
as is
„ Do not wash product prior to storage
„ When soaking or storing product in
standing water or an ice water slurry:
„ Do not mix different items
„ Do not mix multiple batches
of the same item

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Apply Your Knowledge: What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Find the unsafe storage practices in this picture:

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