Food Safety Storage and Temperature Control

Correct storage is essential for a hygienic and efficient food business.

Food spoilage is affected by temperature, humidity, stock rotation practices and poor
packaging, control of all these points is fundamental to the hygienic and profitable
operation of any food business.

Temperature control is important because harmful bacteria are a hazard present in many
of foods handled.
They also tend to multiply rapidly at room temperature. As bacteria are invisible to the
naked eye and cannot be physically removed from food, all we can do is control their
numbers.
There are, however, two main ways in which temperature can be used to achieve this.
Allergens
Food that is perfectly safe for one person to eat may be extremely hazardous to another, e.g.
peanuts, nuts, shellfish etc.

Bacterial contamination
Most raw foods carry micro-organisms. Spoilage and pathogenic bacteria, yeasts and
Moulds may also be present in foods.

Bacterial multiplication
Unsuitable storage conditions allow micro-organisms to multiply rapidly.

Chemical contamination
Storing chemicals close to foods or in inappropriate containers.
Pesticides and insecticides may enter food during growing, certain plants such as rhubarb
leaves, poisonous fungi and toxins also cause chemical food poisoning.

Cross contamination
From raw or high risk foods stored close together, from raw foods stored above high risk
foods, from pest infestation.

Food pests
An infestation resulting from poor storage conditions, stored product pests carried into
Premises in packaged foods.
Physical contamination
From people, pests in food, storage units in poor condition, nuts, bolts or similar from
poorly maintained machinery or equipment.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
In food manufacturing operations, raw materials are generally purchased from approved
suppliers against agreed specifications that detail maximum acceptable standards.
Supervisors are generally involved in ensuring that the agreed specifications are met and
that relevant information and details are included in the HACCP plan.
Product specifications usually include the following information:
• Name and address of the supplier.
• Description of the raw material or product and, if appropriate what it is used for.
• Chemical name or ingredient list.
• Agreed microbiological standards and tolerances.
• Any specific factors with tolerance limits – for example pH, salt, permitted additives.
• Agreed analytical data - for example fat content, calories, pesticide residues.
• Storage conditions.
• Shelf life.
• Safe handling procedures and instructions for use.
• Labelling requirements.
• Batch identification details.

STOCK ROTATION
Stock rotation applies to all types of food. Daily checks should be made on short-life
perishable foods stored in refrigerators, weekly checks on other foods may be sufficient.
Stock rotation is important to maintain the correct levels of stock and ensures that older
stock is used first which helps to reduce spoilage.
Stock that is undisturbed for long periods of time will encourage pest infestation, it is
therefore important to move stores around on a regular basis.

DELIVERY
Most raw foods of animal origin, shellfish, vegetables and some fruits may be contaminated
with pathogenic organisms and should always be treated as hazardous.
All food premises must have adequate, suitable storage facilities to keep all raw foods in a
satisfactory condition.
To demonstrate due diligence and to ensure that deliveries meet the agreed company
specifications an effective documented checking system must be implemented.
The checks required will depend on the type of product, checks may include:
• Checking the cleanliness of the delivery vehicle and personnel.
• Checking temperature of vehicle if delivering high risk food items.
• Quantity and quality.
• Temperature.
• Date coding.
• Condition of food packaging.
Damaged packaging, leaking cartons, rusty cans and old stock items must be rejected and
the reasons for rejection noted in the documented checking system.
Unless otherwise stated in the company specifications, frozen foods should be rejected if
delivered at a temperature above -12°C or -15ºC for quick frozen foods and refrigerated
food rejected if delivered at a temperature above 8°C.
Perishable food items must be checked quickly and removed to cold stores, freezers or
refrigerators without delay.
Once unloaded all batches of food should be clearly marked to ensure strict stock rotation.

STORAGE
All food items should be stored under correct safe conditions:
Item Temperature Points to remember
Raw meat and poultry
-1°C to +1°C Meat should never touch the wall surface of refrigerator.
Eggs
Below 8°C Store under refrigeration, use within 3 weeks of lay, stock rotation is essential
and cracked eggs should not be used.
Meat pies, pastries etc.
Around 5°C Store under refrigeration with good air circulation. As these products
May be consumed without cooking they must never be stored with raw foods or vegetables.
If pies are to be sold hot, they should be cooked thoroughly and if stored, maintained at a
temperature above 63°C. They must never be rewarmed.
Ice-cream
-12°C it should always be kept frozen, if defrosted it must be discarded.
Milk and cream
Below 5°C Store under refrigeration, crates of milk should not be stored below raw meats.
Flour and cereals
Dry stores 10°C to 15°C should preferably be stored in containers with tight fitting lids.
Original sacks must be stored clear of the ground and free from damp.
Canned foods
Dry stores 10°C to 15°C. Do not use, blown cans, badly-dented, seam damaged, holed or
rusty cans.

Ensure good stock rotation is carried out. Some large cans of meat especially ham, may only
have been pasteurized and therefore need to be stored under refrigeration. If this
is the case the can should be clearly labelled.

DRY FOOD STORES

Rooms used for the storage of fruit and vegetables, dried, canned and bottled foods should
be dry, cool, well lit, well ventilated and large enough to facilitate correct storage and
rotation of stock.
• Dry stores temperature should be maintained at around 10 to 15°C.
• All foods should be covered to reduce risk of contamination – includes the use of lidded
pest proof bins.
• Food must be stored off the floor on shelving that has a non-absorbent, cleanable finish.
• Non-food items, including chemicals and strong smelling food items should not be stored
in dry food stores.

REFRIGERATORS
Refrigerators must be considered as a way of delaying not preventing food spoilage by
bacteria and moulds. Most common food poisoning organisms cannot multiply or produce
toxins at temperatures below 5°C.
However some pathogens such as Listeria and Clostridium botulinum do multiply slowly at
temperatures below 5°C. Growth and toxin production just above 0°C takes several days or
weeks and should not usually cause problems during short term refrigerated storage.
The nearer a refrigerator operates to 1°C the safer it will be.
Refrigerators should be readily accessible and should not be placed near any heat source,
ideally they should be in well ventilated areas away from the direct rays of the sun. Large
motors should ideally be positioned outside the building as they generate heat and dust.

Refrigerators should be easy to maintain and clean and door seals should be checked
regularly as they become perished and difficult to clean.
Storage capacity must be adequate to cope with peak demands; refrigerators must not be
overloaded as good air circulation is essential to keep a constant temperature.

REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CABINETS

Only chilled items should be placed in display cabinets as these are designed to hold
temperatures at a particular level and not to cool products down. Products should be
loaded into the cabinets to allow good air circulation and should not exceed the load lines.

FREEZERS
Most domestic and retail freezers operate at a temperature between -18°C and -25°C.
Commercial freezers are usually operated at an air temperature of between -25°C and -
30°C.
• Food items should be well wrapped to prevent freezer burn.
• Reject frozen food deliveries if above -12°C or -15ºC for quick frozen foods or if showing
signs of thawing.
• Air does not need to circulate in a freezer so food can be stored close together.
• Do not store food above the load lines.

STORAGE TIMES
The star marking system is used to indicate the temperature and storage times of food in a
frozen storage compartment.
THAWING
Most foods taken from the freezer can be cooked immediately but poultry, joints of meat
and other large items must be completely thawed before cooking.
The manufacturer’s instructions must always be followed.
If frozen food is not thawed completely then ice crystals remain at the centre and heat from
cooking will be used to melt the ice and will not raise the internal temperature high
enough to destroy all the pathogenic micro-organisms.
Food must be thawed carefully to ensure that there is no cross contamination from the
thawed liquid.
Thawing of frozen poultry is best carried out at a temperature of 10°C to 15°C in an area
completely separate from other foods, (ideally in a specifically designed thawing cabinet)
or at room temperature preferably at less than 21°C.
Once thawed food should either be cooked immediately or stored in refrigerator until it is
cooked or consumed.

COOKING
Cooking is a form of preservation, temperatures achieved during cooking are usually
sufficient to ensure the reduction or elimination of pathogens, although some toxins and
spores may be unaffected.
Internal/core temperatures of 75°C plus (82°C plus in Scotland) must be achieved to
ensure bacteriological safety.
The core temperature of cooked foods should be checked regularly with an accurate
thermometer, which is always disinfected before use.
The temperature of a food may vary throughout, especially during cooling and heating,
therefore large pieces of meat or poultry should be probed at the thickest part.
Alternatively, in the case of stews, soups and other ‘liquid’ foods served hot, it is essential
that food is stirred to ensure adequate distribution of heat before probing.

COOLING
Rapid cooling of cooked foods, to be chilled is essential as bacteria may survive the cooking
process as spores so there is always the risk of contamination after cooking.
It is recommended that food is cooled to below 10°C in less than 90 minutes, blast chillers
are designed to achieve this but for only relatively thin portions of food.
To assist the process food should be:
• Portioned into shallow trays.
• Joints should be portioned to weigh less than 2.5kg (about 5lb).
• Soups, stews, gravies and sauces should be poured into shallow trays.
Other forms of cooling can include, ice baths, stirring foods, using fans, cold running water
(rice, pasta).
During cooling food should be loosely covered or protected from contamination.
Food should be placed in the fridge as soon as it is sufficiently chilled.

REHEATING
Thorough reheating of food will ensure that bacteria that survive the initial cooking or
contaminate the food after cooling will be destroyed.
• Reheat thoroughly so that a centre temperature of 75°C for at least 30 seconds (82°C
Scotland) is reached.
• If reheating liquids they should be boiled vigorously and stirred regularly.
• Serve reheated food immediately.
• Never reheat food more than once, discard left overs.

HOLDING AND SERVING

Food which is for service or on display for sale that has been cooked or reheated and needs
to be kept hot to control the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms or the formation of
toxins must be kept at a temperature at or above 63°C.
Temperatures of foods being ‘Hot Held’ in a bain-marie or displayed at a buffet are best
measured by probing the foods.
Temperature monitoring using a thermometer
In many cases, the temperature of food can be checked using a probe thermometer.
Ideally, a hand-held digital thermometer should be used when probing foods and checking
air temperatures. This may be supplemented by additional ‘in-place’ thermometers which
may be located in refrigerators, chills, cold displays and freezers.
Thermometers should be kept clean at all times.
Probe thermometers should be sanitised/disinfected before/ after each use.
Under no circumstances should mercury in glass thermometer be used as it would present
a contamination risk if it breaks.
It is important that you regularly check that the probe thermometer you are using is
working correctly.