At What Point During Receiving
Should The Temperature of The Food Be Checked? 🧊🥣🍽
Table of Contents
Introduction
During Delivery
- Reviewing Transport Records
- Spot Checking Temperatures
Upon Arrival
- Moving Items to Storage
- Taking Internal Temperatures
- Verifying Store Unit Temperatures
While Putting Away
- Continued Monitoring
- Rotating Stock
- Isolating Problems
Cold Foods
- Fresh Produce
- Dairy Products
- Pre-Cut Fruits/Vegetables
- Deli Salads/Meats
- Soups/Sauces
- Bakery Goods
Hot Foods
- Soups & Stews
- Recently Cooked Items
- Hot Entrées & Sides
- Gravies & Sauces
- Baked Goods
- Beverages
Frozen Foods
- Frozen Meats
- Fruits/Vegetables
- Baked Goods
- Ice Cream/Novelties
- Pre-Made Entrées
Other Considerations
- Vehicle Inspection
- Order Accuracy
- Product Quality
- Proper Rotation
- Thermometer Calibration
- Detailed Logging
Conclusion
FAQs
Introduction
Maintaining proper food
temperatures is critical during receiving to ensure safety. Complex supply
chains mean TCS foods pass through many hands, increasing risks. So at what
point should temperatures be checked❓during delivery, upon arrival,
while stocking, and ongoing are key times. Diligently monitoring and recording
temps verifies items were handled safely across each link in the farm-to-fork
chain. This protects your operation, personnel and the public. Let's discuss
best practices for checking food temperatures at strategic points during
the receiving process.
During Delivery
The first chance to check temps
is upon delivery while the driver is present...
- Reviewing Transport Records 📋
- Ask driver for temperature logs
from transit
- Review logs match requirements
(e.g. 41°F or below for refrigerated items)
- Flag any concerning temps or
gaps in records
- If problems found, document
details with driver present
- Transport logs provide initial
verification of conditions
- Spot Checking Temperatures🔎
- Use a calibrated thermometer to
spot check some products
- Probe refrigerated and frozen
items to verify transport temps
- Focus on required temps:
- Refrigerated ≤41°F
- Frozen hard frozen at 0°F
- Compare with driver's logged
temps
- Note any discrepancies on
receiving documents
- Spot checks supplement
transport records
Upon Arrival
Once products are unloaded,
comprehensive temperature checks are needed...
- Moving Items to Storage👨🏭
- Quickly move refrigerated and
frozen items into respective coolers and freezers
- Limit time unrefrigerated to
prevent temperature abuse
- Get items into controlled
storage environments first
- Taking Internal Temperatures🤒
- Use a calibrated food
thermometer to check internal temps of TCS items
- Prioritize refrigerated
perishables like meats, dairy, produce
- Also check frozen items to
ensure hard frozen state
- Record any products above max
temp:
- Refrigerated foods >41°F
- Frozen foods >0°F
- High temps indicate time/temp
abuse
- Verifying Store Unit Temps❄️
- Check temps of storage units
following delivery
- Confirm coolers are ≤41°F and
freezers at 0°F
- This verifies units can
maintaincold chain requirements
- Ensure units quickly return to
set points after unloading
- Document all unit temps for due
diligence
While Putting Away
Continue monitoring temperatures
during stocking...
- Continued Monitoring🧊
- Open packages and probe
internal temps of foods as you stock
- Check at least a sample of
identical products
- Verify cooler/freezer holds
temp as you load products
- Rotating Stock🔃
- Use First In First Out (FIFO)
- Place new deliveries behind
existing inventory
- Rotate oldest stock to
top/front
- This ensures proper product
rotation
- Isolating Problems🛑
- Identify any items above 41°F
during stocking
- Isolate and label products that
are out of temp
- Notify management to determine
disposition
- May need to reject compromised
items
Cold Foods
Let's review key refrigerated
food categories and temp requirements...
-
Fresh Produce🥬
Fruits, vegetables, mushrooms,
sprouts, cut melons - receipt temp ≤41°F
- Produce keeps best at 32-34°F
- Some sensitive greens require
36-38°F
- Avoid temps above 41°F which
accelerate spoilage
-
Dairy Products🥛
Milk, cream, cheese, yogurt,
butter - receipt temp ≤41°F
- Keep at 34-38°F after receipt
- Inspect for signs of
temperature abuse
- Check butter, soft cheeses as high-risk
items
-
Pre-Cut Fruits/Veggies🥑
Cut apples, melons, leafy greens,
etc - receipt temp ≤41°F
- Cut produce is highly
perishable
- Prioritize checking these temps
- Isolate any above 41°F due to
rapid quality loss
-
Deli Salads/Meats🥪
Prepared salads, luncheon meats -
receipt temp ≤41°F
- Monitor closely for growth of
pathogens
- Discard if above 46°F for over
4 hours
- Look for signs of spoilage, odd
textures, smells
-
Soups/Sauces🍲
Prepared refrigerated soups,
sauces - receipt temp ≤41°F
- Items with dairy, garlic, low
acid at higher risk
- Check temps of high-risk
prepared foods
-
Bakery Goods🥐
Fresh doughs, batters, custards -
receipt temp ≤41°F
- Inspect yeast doughs, creams,
cheeses carefully
- Discard abusive temps - safety
risk
Hot Foods
Let's look at managing hot
prepared foods...
-
Soups & Stews🍜
Received at ≥135°F
- Check large volumes at various
spots
- Do not accept if under 130°F
- Potentially hazardous if time
abused
-
Recently Cooked Items🍳
Hot entrees, sides - received
≥135°F
- Verify temps in multiple
locations
- Watch items made with hot-held
ingredients
-
Hot Entrées & Sides🥘
Received ≥135°F
- Roasts, casseroles, potatoes,
etc
- Check core temps of large dense
foods
-
Gravies & Sauces🍯
Received ≥135°F
- Inspect carefully if made with
dairy, low acid ingredients
- Discard if below 130°F due to
food safety risks
-
Baked Goods🥧
Received ≥135°F
- Pizza, stuffed breads, pies,
etc
- Check center, edge and surface
temps
-
Beverages☕
Coffee, tea, hot chocolate
received ≥135°F
- Verify hot holding equipment
works properly
- Discard anything abandoned
below 135°F
Frozen Foods
Let's go over monitoring frozen
items...
-
Frozen Meats🥩
Beef, poultry, pork, fish -
received hard frozen at 0°F
- Inspect for signs of
thawing/refreezing
- Verify no ice crystals inside
packaging
-
Fruits/Veggies🍓
Berries, corn, peas, beans -
received 0°F
- Check packages for signs of
thawing/leakage
- Confirm hard frozen state with
internal checks
-
Baked Goods🧁
Frozen dough, pie shells, waffles
- received 0°F
- Should feel frozen solid to
touch
- Note any temp fluctuations
during transit
-
Ice Cream/Novelties🍦
Received hard frozen at 0°F
- Inspect packaging for signs of
thawing
- Containers should feel completely
frozen
- No liquid or ice crystals
inside
-
Pre-Made Entrées🥟
Frozen meals, pizzas - received
0°F
- Verify internal temps at
several locations
- Watch for ice crystals inside
packaging
Other Considerations
Some other key receiving
reminders...
- Vehicle Inspection🚛
- Is vehicle interior clean, free
of debris/pests?
- Does it maintain proper product
separation?
- Reject load if vehicle
compromised
- Order Accuracy📦
- Verify item IDs, quantities
match invoice
- Inspect packaging,
labeling
- Reject damaged or incorrectly
shipped items
- Product Quality🧐
- Inspect overall product
freshness
- Note expiration dates,
excessive trim, discoloration
- Reject substandard quality
items
- Proper Rotation🔃
- Use FIFO during stocking
- Move older inventory forward in
line
- Place new deliveries behind
current stock
- Thermometer Calibration🪡
- Have thermometers calibrated
weekly
- Ensures accurate temperature
readings
- Critical for proper monitoring
- Detailed Logging🗒️
- Maintain detailed receiving
logs
- Note all temps, items rejected,
corrective actions
- Logs verify due diligence in
the process
## Introduction
Verifying **safe food
temperatures during receiving** is the first line of defense against
contamination...
Conclusion
Careful temperature checks at
strategic points during receiving protects public health. Monitoring **temps at
delivery, upon arrival, during stocking and ongoing** provides critical data to
document food safety. Following protocols to immediately measure and record
temperatures shows diligence in verifying items remained in the safe
temperature zone across each link in the supply chain. While requiring time and
resources, precise temperature tracking is a fundamental safeguard that helps
food businesses reduce risks, prevent illness and protect their reputation.
When in doubt, remember - **taking temps isn't just a recommendation, it's a
Food Safety 101 requirement**!🔥🥣🧊❄️
FAQs
What temperature can refrigerated foods reach during delivery?
Refrigerated foods should never
exceed 41°F during transport or unloading. Allowance up to 45°F is sometimes
given for short periods during delivery. Monitor temps closely.
What does it mean if frozen foods show ice crystals inside packages?
Ice crystals inside packaging
indicates temperature fluctuations occurred allowing partial thawing then
re-freezing. This damages food quality and should be avoided. Reject any frozen
items with internal ice crystals.
What items need priority temperature checks upon arrival?
TCS foods like raw meats, fresh
produce, dairy products, prepared deli foods, cut fruits/vegetables require
immediate temp checks on arrival before stocking. Also check frozen goods.
Is it okay to accept foods that exceeded temperature requirements in
transit?
It's risky. The longer TCS foods
are temperature abused, the greater the microbial growth. Try to determine how
long and how far out of range temps were. When in doubt, reject the shipment.
Why is it important to move refrigerated foods to storage quickly?
Quickly transferring items from
the delivery truck to refrigerators limits the time they are at unsafe ambient
temperatures. This prevents opportunities for bacterial growth on perishable
foods.
Should you rely solely on spot temperature checks during receiving?
No, spot checking provides an
initial indicator but thorough temperature checks of all TCS foods are still
needed upon arrival and during putting away to verify safety.
What happens if you don't have enough refrigerator space to unload a large
delivery?
Only accept what you can quickly
unload, check and properly store within time/temperature requirements. Partial
delayed deliveries or rental refrigeration units may be required in that case.
Is visual inspection alone reliable for monitoring frozen foods?
No, frozen items can appear solid
but still experience some temperature fluctuations allowing partial thawing.
Probe frozen items to verify they remained hard frozen below 0°F throughout
transit.
Why is thermometer calibration important prior to receiving checks?
Regular calibration eliminates
any inaccuracies in thermometer readings over time. Precise, trustworthy
temperature measurements are critical during monitoring.
Where should receiving temperature logs be filed and for how long?
Maintain temperature logs for 2
weeks up to 12 months onsite and consider archiving offsite for 3-5 years. Logs
serve as critical verification of food safety monitoring.