Safe, Sanitary, and Effective Food

Storage Laura Hutchinson

Dietetic InternElmhurst Extended Care Center

General Storage Guidelines

Following proper storage guidelines for both food and

nonfood items will keep items safe and preserve their quality.

Labeling• All new products must be

dated with month, day, and year when putting deliveries on shelves.

• All food prepared in house must include the name of the food, the date, the time of preparation, and the date by which it must be thrown out.

RotationUse the FIFO Method.

1) Identify the food item’s use-by or expiration date.

2) Store items with the earliest use-by date or expiration dates in front of items with later dates.

3) Once shelved, use those items stored in front first.

Product Placement• Store food, linens, and single-use items away

from walls and at least 6 inches off the floor. • Always store food in containers intended for food. • Never use empty food containers to store

chemicals.• Never put food in empty chemical containers.

Cleaning• Clean refrigerators thoroughly once a week.

o If necessary, use a stiff brush.o Rinse with a weak baking soda solution.

• Defrost and thoroughly clean the freezer monthly.o Follow the same procedure as the refrigerator using alcohol and water

to avoid unsafe freezing.

• Clean all storage areas per cleaning schedule.

• Always store food in containers that have been cleaned and sanitized.

• Clean carts, transporters, and dollies as often as possible.

Dry Storage• Keep dry storage areas cool and dry.• Store food away from walls, and at least 6 inches

off the floor• The temperature of dry storage areas must be

between 50°F and 70°F.

Refrigerated Storage• All potentially hazardous foods prepared on site

or open containers must be dated and refrigerated for no longer than 7 days.

• If the dated product is NOT used within 7 days from preparation or opening, it must be discarded.

• This date (7 days from prep/opening) is the use-by date. The day of preparation counts as day one.

Refrigerated Storage• The refrigerator must

keep an internal temperature of 41°F or lower at all times.

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed except when in use.

One of the most important practices in safe food handling is proper refrigeration.

Preventing Cross-Contamination

Always wrap or cover food.Store foods in the following order:

TOP: Ready-to-eat food Whole raw fish/seafood

Whole raw meatsGround raw meats

BOTTOM: Raw whole and ground poultry

Frozen Storage• Freezers must be kept at 0°F or below.

• Make sure both refrigerator and cooler thermometers are visible, in working order, and record temperatures per protocol.

If you have a question as to how long a food can be kept frozen or refrigerated, please see Beth or Laura to refer to

DuPage County Health Department Cold Storage Chart

Apply: Load the CoolerPut the foods in order, from top (1) to bottom (4), of where they should be stored.

_____ Whole Meat_____ Whole Chicken_____ Pecan Pie_____ Raw ground beef

References1. National Restaurant Association. (2010). ServSafe Essentials, 5th Edition. 2. Safe Food Handlers Corporation. (2012). Comprehensive Food Safety Training Manual, 19th Edition.3. Elmhurst Extended Care Center Dietary Policies and Procedures