Yes, it's essential to keep all delivery notes and invoices from your food suppliers. These documents need to be filed and stored securely as they serve multiple important purposes:
Common misunderstanding: Delivery paperwork is only important for large-scale operations or chains.
Delivery paperwork is equally important for small businesses. It ensures accountability, aids in inventory management, and provides vital information for resolving supplier disputes, regardless of the business size.
You should maintain a filing system for all delivery paperwork that allows you to trace products back to their source if needed. This is particularly important in cases of food-borne illness, allergic reactions, or contamination incidents where you need to notify and investigate suppliers.
Common misunderstanding: Once a delivery is verified and accepted, the paperwork can be discarded.
Discarding paperwork immediately can lead to significant issues if a product recall occurs or there is a need to trace a food safety issue back to its source. Retaining documents for at least one year, or as per local regulations, is essential for compliance and safety.
Common misunderstanding: Digital storage of delivery documents is risky and unreliable.
Digital storage solutions offer secure and reliable options for document retention, often with robust backup and recovery features. They also provide easy access and organisation, making it simpler to manage and retrieve records when needed.
When checking delivery paperwork, ensure:
Common misunderstanding: Only discrepancies in quantity need to be reported on delivery paperwork.
It's critical to report all discrepancies, including quality issues, incorrect items, or temperature deviations. These factors can affect product safety and quality, and addressing them in documentation helps maintain standards and supplier accountability.
Common misunderstanding: Verbal agreements with suppliers are sufficient for any changes in the delivery.
Relying solely on verbal agreements can lead to misunderstandings and lacks a formal record. Documenting all changes in delivery paperwork ensures clarity and provides a reliable reference for any disputes or audits.
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To ascertain the freshness of poultry upon delivery, check for the following attributes: The skin should be creamy in colour and free from blemishes or bruises.
To determine if meat is fresh upon delivery, look for these signs of freshness: (1) An even red/brown colour on all meat surfaces. (2) Moistness to the touch but not slimy.
Frozen deliveries should arrive at a temperature of -18°C or colder, up to a maximum of -15°C.
To determine the freshness of fish upon delivery, look for several key indicators: Bright, not sunken eyes; firm flesh with a fine layer of sea slime; red-coloured gills; scales that are difficult to remove and appear fresh, not dry; and a neutral to slightly oceanic smell without strong fishy odours. Additionally, fish can be considered fresh if it is flash-frozen immediately after catch and properly thawed, as quick freezing preserves its quality.
To assess the freshness of vegetables delivered from a supplier, check for firmness, absence of mold, a fresh smell, and an absence of blemishes, bruising, or discolouration.
Food deliveries should be transferred from the delivery point to storage areas within 15 minutes, including the time needed for unboxing.
If chilled food arrives above 8°C from a supplier, you must immediately reject the delivery and inform the supplier. This temperature exceeds the critical food safety limit of 8°C.
When receiving tins from a food supplier, inspect for these key points: (1) Ensure there is no rust on the tins, as it may indicate compromised metal integrity.
When a supplier substitutes products, it is important that the changes are clearly documented in writing. Verbal notifications are not acceptable.
No, you should not accept deliveries that are close to their use-by dates. Ensure use-by dates have a minimum of 5 days remaining and best-before dates have at least 1 month remaining.
If you find pest damage in a food delivery, immediately reject the affected items.
You must always take temperatures between packs of food using a clean and sanitised probe. Never pierce the packaging to take a temperature as this can compromise food safety and product integrity.
No, you should reject any frozen deliveries that show signs of defrosting or refreezing, as they can seriously affect food quality through freezer burn when the product is refrozen.
For food deliveries, ensure that products have at least 5 days of usage remaining on their use-by dates.