Food Storage

The following rules of safe food storage have two purposes:

1. To prevent contamination of foods.
2. To prevent growth of bacteria that may already be in foods.

Temperature control is an important part of food storage. Perishable foods must be kept
out of the Food Danger Zone—41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C)—as much as possible, because these
temperatures support bacterial growth. See Figure 2.1 for a chart of important temperatures.

The Four-Hour Rule :-

Food is handled in many stages between the time it is received and the time it is finally
served. This progression, called the flow of food, is discussed further in a later section. During
each stage, food might be allowed to remain in the Food Danger Zone for a time. To protect
food and keep it safe, follow the four-hour rule: Do not let food remain in the Food Danger
Zone for a cumulative total of more than 4 hours between receiving and serving.
For example, imagine a food that is left on the loading dock for 30 minutes before being
put into cold storage, removed from storage and left on the worktable for an hour before being
prepared, and finally cooked at a low temperature so that it takes 3 hours to reach a safe
internal temperature (see p. 29). This food has spent a total of 4 1⁄2 hours in the danger zone
and should be considered unsafe.

Receiving:-

1. Safe food handling begins the moment food is unloaded from
   the delivery truck. In fact, it begins even earlier than this, with the
   selection of good, reputable suppliers. Keep the receiving area
   clean and well lit.
2. Inspect all deliveries. Try to schedule deliveries during off-peak
   hours to allow proper time to inspect the items. For the same rea￾son, try to schedule deliveries so they arrive one at a time.
3. Reject shipments or parts of shipments that are damaged or not
   at the proper temperature. Frozen foods should show no signs of
   having been thawed and refrozen.
4. Label all items with the delivery date or a use-by date.
5. Transfer items immediately to proper storage.

Dry Food Storage:-

Dry food storage pertains to those foods not likely to support bacterial
growth in their normal state. These foods include, Flour, Sugar and salt,Cereals, rice, and other grains, Dried beans and peas,Ready -nprepared cereals
Breads and crackers, Oils and shortenings,Canned and bottled foods (unopened).

1. Store dry foods in a cool, dry place, off the floor, away from the wall, and not under a
   sewer line.
2. Keep all containers tightly closed to protect from insects, rodents, and dust. Dry foods
   can be contaminated, even if they don’t need refrigeration.

Freezer Storage :-

1. Keep frozen foods at 0°F (–18°C) or lower.
2. Keep all frozen foods tightly wrapped or packaged to prevent freezer burn.
3. Label and date all items.
4. Thaw frozen foods properly. Do not thaw at room temperature, because the surface
   temperature will go above 41°F (5°C) before the inside is thawed, resulting in bacterial
   growth. These methods may be used:
   • In a refrigerator
   • Under cold running water
   • In a microwave oven, but only if the item is to be cooked or served immediately

Refrigerator Storage :-

1. Keep all perishable foods properly refrigerated. Note the lower limit of the Food Danger
   Zone (41°F/5°C) is only the upper limit for refrigerator storage. Most foods keep even
   better at lower temperatures. The major exception is fresh fruits and vegetables, which
   are not considered potentially hazardous foods. See Table 2.4 for preferred storage
   temperatures for various foods.
2. Do not crowd refrigerators. Leave space between items so cold
   air can circulate.
3. Keep refrigerator doors shut except when removing or putting
   in foods.
4. Keep shelves and interiors of refrigerators clean.
5. Store raw and cooked items separately, if possible.
6. If raw and cooked foods must be kept in the same refrigerator,
   keep cooked foods above raw foods. If cooked foods are kept
   below raw foods, they can become contaminated by drips and spills. Then, if they are
   not to be cooked again before serving, they may be hazardous.
7. Keep refrigerated foods wrapped or covered and in sanitary containers.
8. Do not let any unsanitary surface, such as the bottoms of other containers, touch any food.
9. Chill foods as quickly as possible over ice or in a cold-water bath before placing in the
   refrigerator. A gallon of stock placed in a refrigerator hot off the stove may take 10
   hours to go below 41°F (5°C), giving bacteria plenty of time to grow.
10. When holding foods such as protein salads in a cold bain-marie or refrigerated table
    for service, do not heap the food above the level of the container. The food above this
    level will not stay cold enough.

Hot Food Holding :-

1. To keep foods hot for service, use steam tables or other equipment that will keep all
   parts of all foods above 135°F (57°C) at all times.
2. Keep foods covered.
3. Bring foods to holding temperature as quickly as possible by using ovens, steamers,
   rangetop pots and pans, or other cooking equipment. Do not warm cold foods by plac￾ing them directly in the steam table. They will take too long to heat, and bacteria will
   have time to grow.
4. Do not let ready-to-eat foods come in contact with any contaminated surface.