ASEPTICALLY PACKAGED AND ULTRA-HIGH TEMPERATURE (UHT) PASTEURIZED FOOD

Aseptically packaged and ultra high temperature (UHT) pasteurized food such as milk, juice, and puddings can also be received and stored at room temperature. These products are pasteurized (heat treated at very high temperatures for a short time) to kill microorganisms that can cause illness. They are then packed under sterile conditions to keep them from being contaminated. Once opened, however, the products should be refrigerated at 41F (5C) or lower. Check packaging and seals to make sure they are intact. Reject these products if packaging is punctured or broken.

POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS HOT FOOD

Occasionally operators may receive a shipment of hot food. Hot food must be properly cooked at as required by local or federal codes. If you purchase hot food, make sure the supplier has a HACCP plan or other means of documenting proper cooking methods and temperatures. Potentially hazardous hot food must be delivered in appropriate containers that can maintain these temperatures.

SUMMARY

Even though federal and state agencies regulate and monitor the production and transportation of food such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, and canned goods, it is your responsibility to check the quality and safety of food that comes into your establishment.

Receiving safe food starts with the careful selection of approved and reputable suppliers. By working with suppliers, operators can take steps to ensure the food they purchase is safe.

Operators must plan delivery schedules so products can be handled promptly and correctly. Employees assigned to receive deliveries should be trained to to inspect food properly, as well as to distinguish between products that are acceptable and those that are not. They should also be authorized to reject products that don’t meet company standards and to sign for products that do.

Thermometers are the most important tools operators have to prevent time-temperature abuse. Every facility should have an adequate supply of thermometers on hand. Thermometers must be cleaned and sanitized before and after each use. Managers should make sure employees know what different thermometers are used for and how to calibrate and use them properly.

All products arriving at the establishment should meet agreed-upon standards. Packaging should be clean and undamaged. Code dates should be current. Food should show no signs of mishandling.

Products must be delivered at the proper temperature. All products – especially meat, poultry, and fish – should be checked for proper color, texture, and odor. Live molluscan shellfish and crustacean must be delivered alive. Eggs should be inspected for freshness and for dirty and cracked shells. Dairy products must be checked for freshness. Produce should be fresh and wholesome. Frozen food should be inspected for signs of thawing and refreezing. MAP, vacuum-packed, and sous vide food should not bubble or appear slimy, its packaging should be intact, and code dates should not be expired. Canned food must be carefully examined for signs of damage. Dry food should be inspected for pest infestation and moisture. Potentially hazardous hot food must be delivered at 140F (60C) or higher.

A CASE IN POINT 1

On Monday, a large food delivery arrived at the Sunnudale Nursing Home during the busy lunch hour. All the food products were different: cases of frozen ground beef patties, canned vegetables, frozen shrimp, fresh tomatoes, a case of potatoes, and fresh chicken.

Betty, the new assistant manager, thought the best thing to do was to put everything away and check it later, since she was very busy. She told Ed, in charge of receiving, to sign for the delivery and put the food into storage. Ed asked her if it would be better to ask the delivery driver to come back later. Since she needed the chicken for that night’s dinner, Betty asked Ed to accept the delivery now and went back to the front of the house.

Ed put the frozen shrimp and ground beef patties in the freezer and the fresh chicken in the refrigerator. Then he put the fresh tomatoes, potatoes, and canned vegetables in dry storage. When he was finished, he went back to work in the kitchen.

What was done incorrectly? What could be the possible result?

A CASE IN POINT 2

ABC Seafood makes its usual Thursday afternoon delivery to the Fish House. John, a prep cook, is the only person in the kitchen when the driver rings the bell at the back door. The kitchen manager, who is in charge of receiving, is in a managers’ meeting. The chef is out on an errand, and the rest of the kitchen staff is on break, though some are still in the restaurant.

Johns follow the driver onto the dock, where the driver unloads two crates of ice-packed fresh fish, bags of live mussels, two buckets of live oysters, a case of shucked oysters in plastic containers, and a case each of frozen shrimp and frozen lobster tails. John goes back into the kitchen to get a bimetallic stemmed thermometer and remembers to look in the chef’s office for the copy of the order form. He takes both out to the dock and begins to inspect the shipment.

Johns checks the product against both the order sheet and the invoice, then begins to check product temperatures. First he puts thermometer stem between the packages in the cases of frozen shrimp and lobster. Then he checked the temperature of the shucked oysters by taking the cover off one container and inserting the thermometer stem into it. The thermometer reads 45F (7C), which worries him. He remembers being taught that refrigerated products should be 41F (5C) or lower. He decided not to say anything.

After wiping the thermometer stem on his apron, John checks the internal temperature of a whole fish packed in ice. Finally, he reaches into one of the buckets of live oysters with his hand to see if it feels cold. He notices a few mussels and oysters with open and broken shells. He removes those with broken shells, knowing the chef won’t use them.

John records all his findings on the order sheet he took from the chef’s office, signs for the delivery, and starts putting the products away. He first puts away the live shellfish, duping the few still left in the refrigerator into the new containers so there is room. Then he puts the shucked oysters and fresh fish in the refrigerator and the shrimp and lobster into the freezer.

What was done wrong? What could be result?

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