Food Handler Training — Module 7: Receiving & Storage

This is where foodborne illness begins — at receiving. If contaminated or temperature-abused product enters your facility, no amount of cleaning or cooking downstream will fully fix the problem.

Receiving Checks — What to Inspect on Every Delivery

Every delivery gets checked. No exceptions. Here is what you are looking for:

Temperature: This is the most critical check. Use a calibrated probe thermometer — do not trust the truck's thermostat reading.

• Fresh/refrigerated products: Must be at 4C (40F) or below
• Frozen products: Must be solidly frozen at -18C (0F) or below — no soft spots, no evidence of thawing
• Hot food deliveries: Must be at 60C (140F) or above

Packaging: Inspect every case. Look for tears, punctures, dents, or swelling. Swollen packaging on vacuum-sealed meat is a sign of bacterial gas production — that product is spoiled. Damaged packaging means the barrier between the product and contaminants has been compromised.

Expiry dates: Check them. Do not accept product that is expired or close enough to expiry that you cannot use it before the date passes.

Sensory checks: Fresh chicken should smell mild and clean. Off-odors — sour, ammonia-like, or sulfurous — mean reject. Color should be pink, not grey or green. Texture should be firm, not slimy.

Delivery vehicle: Is the truck clean? Is the refrigeration unit running? A dirty or warm delivery truck is grounds for rejection.

When to Reject a Delivery

Refuse the shipment if any of the following are true:

• Temperature is above 4C for refrigerated products or product is not solidly frozen
• Packaging is damaged, torn, punctured, or swollen
• Evidence of pest contamination (droppings, gnaw marks, insects)
• Expiry date has passed
• Off-odors, unusual color, or slimy texture
• Frozen products show large ice crystals on the surface (sign of thawing and refreezing)
• Delivery vehicle is dirty or not properly refrigerated

Document every rejection — date, supplier, product, reason, and the driver's name.

FIFO — First In, First Out

FIFO is a stock rotation system. Simple concept, massive impact.

1. Label every product with the product name, date received, and use-by date
2. Place new stock behind older stock — new deliveries go to the back of the shelf
3. Use older products first — always pull from the front
4. Check dates daily — discard anything past its use-by date

FIFO applies to everything. Not just dry goods. Refrigerated meat, frozen products, chemicals, packaging materials — all of it rotates on a first-in, first-out basis.

In a chicken processing facility, this is especially critical. Fresh poultry has a short shelf life — 1 to 2 days refrigerated after receiving. If Tuesday's delivery gets buried behind Monday's, and a worker grabs Tuesday's first, Monday's chicken sits an extra day. That extra day can push it past safe limits.

Refrigerator Storage Order

Foods with higher cooking temperatures go on lower shelves. If raw juices drip, they land on something that will be cooked to a higher temperature — not on something ready to eat.

Top to bottom:

1. Ready-to-eat foods — cooked meats, deli items, salads, desserts (TOP shelf)
2. Fruits and vegetables
3. Whole muscle meats — beef steaks, pork chops, roasts
4. Ground meats — ground beef, sausage meat
5. Raw poultry — chicken, turkey (BOTTOM shelf)

Refrigerator and Freezer Requirements

• Refrigerator: 4C (40F) or below — check and log temperature at least twice daily (at opening and closing)
• Freezer: -18C (0F) or below
• Do not overload — air must circulate freely around products
• Cover all food: wrap, lid, or sealed container
• Use food-grade containers only
• Keep raw and cooked/RTE products in separate areas

Dry Storage Requirements

Dry goods go in dry storage. The rules:

• Temperature: 15C to 25C (cool, dry, well-ventilated)
• Store all products at least 15 cm (6 inches) off the floor
• Keep products away from walls to allow air circulation and pest inspection access
• Store chemicals and cleaning supplies in a completely separate area from food — never on the same shelf, never in the same room if possible
• Label all containers, especially anything removed from original packaging

Labelling and Date Marking

Every product in your storage area needs a label. At minimum:

• Product name — what is it?
• Date received or date prepared
• Use-by date — based on the product's shelf life
• Lot number (for meat products) — essential for traceability in case of a recall

When product is transferred from original packaging, the label information must transfer with it. An unlabelled container of ground chicken in the walk-in is a food safety hazard.

Meat and Poultry Shelf Life

These numbers matter for both the exam and daily operations:

Vacuum-Packed Meat and Traceability

Always check vacuum seals at receiving — a broken seal means the product is no longer protected. Monitor stored vacuum packs for bloating, which signals gas-producing bacterial growth. Bloated packs get discarded immediately.

Track lot numbers from receiving through shipping. When CFIA issues a recall — 139 in the 2024-25 fiscal year — the ability to trace affected product quickly is the difference between a contained incident and a crisis.