How Should a Food Worker Store Food Using Fifo

First In, First Out (FIFO) is a organization for storing and rotating food. In FIFO, the food that has been in storage longest (“first in”) should be the next food used (“first out”). This method helps restaurants and homes keep their food storage organized and to use nutrient before it goes bad. Showtime In, First Out is an effective system that should be a standard operating procedure for every food service institution and a staple practice for food managers.

Organization is primal

Everyone wants to be get-go, but food service works improve when there is order (I’m looking at you, Martin the Milk). The key to FIFO is arrangement, and it all starts with use-by dates.

Follow use-by dates

Get-go In, First Out organizes food by expiration or use-by date. For the organization to piece of work, all food in refrigerators, freezers, and dry out storage must exist marked with a employ-by engagement. If food doesn’t have a employ-by or expiration date, workers should marker the food package with the date received and use that date as a storage reference.

Store the same food together

Under FIFO, food is organized to keep the aforementioned kinds of foods together. For example, packages of the same nutrient should be stored in one area so they are all kept together. This system makes finding foods easier and cuts down on the time it takes to stock items.

Conform older nutrient in front

Storing food past category isn’t enough on its own. Nutrient in storage should be arranged oldest to newest according to utilise-by dates. Newer foods should exist put at the back of the shelf behind older foods, leaving the oldest food in the near accessible place nigh the front end of the shelf.

This organization makes information technology easy for food workers to discover the oldest food and to use it first when that ingredient is needed. FIFO organization saves nutrient workers the time they would take spent searching for an particular or comparing expiration dates.

Maintain FIFO

For FIFO to actually work, the organization system must be maintained. The process of date-marking, organizing, and arranging nutrient in Offset In, Get-go Out order should happen every time the facility receives new shipments of food. Different foods require dissimilar steps to integrate them into the FIFO system. Some foods may need date-marker. Other food will need some preparation before it can be stored in a refrigerator or freezer. Depending on the size of the packaging, a row of older food may need to be shifted forward or temporarily taken out so newer food tin exist placed in the dorsum.

FIFO benefits

Information technology takes actress effort to organize food according to Kickoff In, First Out, but the attempt pays off. FIFO keeps older food from being shoved to the back where information technology tin can exist forgotten or overlooked. FIFO helps food establishments cycle through their stock, keeping food fresher. This constant rotation helps foreclose mold and pathogen growth. When employees monitor the fourth dimension nutrient spends in storage, they improve the condom and freshness of food.

FIFO can assistance restaurants track how quickly their food stock is used. This data is useful in managing inventory and adjusting orders to more closely fit the needs of the facility, reducing waste. FIFO as well makes information technology easier to identify nutrient that is nigh to elapse. Food must exist discarded if information technology is past its utilise-by date, and FIFO can help food establishments catch items that are nearly expired and utilize or sell them earlier this appointment passes.

For organisation, tracking, condom, and usefulness, FIFO can’t be beat. If your institution hasn’t tried Showtime In, First Out, requite it a trail run and enjoy the benefits.

Food safe reminder

To minimize waste in your establishment, use older products first—as long as they are safe to employ.

To learn more rubber food practices, check out our food handler training!

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—Suzanna Sandridge

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2017 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.