How to Set Up Food Delivery Checks

This article has been written by Pilla Founder, Liam Jones, click to email Liam directly, he reads every email.

Ingredients should be traceable in case of a food borne illness, an allergic reaction, foreign body or chemical contamination incident. Without proper traceability, your can't notify the relevant supplier and they can't be investigated by the local authority to check if the source of the problem is traced back to them.
Your food suppliers must carry out their own due diligence in their supply chains and must have robust food safety management systems and HACCP procedures in place. It is good practice to work with food suppliers who have external accreditations such as the British retail consortium (BRC) and safe and local supplier approval (SALSA). These suppliers will have had to undertake very strict audits to obtain their accreditations.
Incoming food deliveries should be checked to make sure they have been transported properly and the quality is high. Pilla has a pre-built food delivery temperature check inside which includes all of the inputs for staff to record compliant checks including delivery vehicle temperature and condition.
You should aim to record all high risk deliveries such as meats. Set up enough daily recurring food delivery checks so that your teams can do this.

Demo: Setting up Food Delivery Checks in Pilla

•Click the '+' button underneath any day on the planner to create a new activity and use these settings:
- Name: Delivery Checks
- Site: Select the appropriate venue
- Team: Choose the team who will carry out the checks
- Start: Set the start time to be the first time you want the checks to be carried out (this should be a future date and time). For delivery checks, you should set a start time which is before your first delivery of the day usually arrives
- Finish: Set the date and time that the first checks should be finished by (this is the target finish time). For delivery checks, you should set a finish time which is after your last delivery of the day usually arrives
- Frequency: Set to 'Daily' and select every day that you are open
- Tag: Add the relevant Tag (most likely Kitchen Checks unless you've created another one)
•Click 'Create' to create the activity
•Click 'Add Check' and use the dropdown menu to select 'Delivery Checks '.You should add as many of these as you need to carry out all of the usual high risk deliveries every day. Name then 'Delivery 1, Delivery 2' and so on, or you could be more specific and name then 'Meat Delivery, Fish Delivery' and so on.
•You now have a recurring daily activity which will have your delivery checks inside. The activity will recreate itself one day in advance.

Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

How do I know if poultry is fresh when it arrives from a supplier?: 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.; Read more →
How do I know if meat is fresh when it arrives from a supplier?: 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.; Read more →
What temperature should frozen deliveries be when they arrive?: Frozen deliveries should arrive at a temperature of -18°C or colder, up to a maximum of -15°C.; Read more →
How do I know if fish is fresh when it arrives from a supplier?: 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.; Read more →
How do I know if vegetables are fresh when it arrives from a supplier?: 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.; Read more →
How quickly do I need to put food deliveries away?: Food deliveries should be transferred from the delivery point to storage areas within 15 minutes, including the time needed for unboxing.; Read more →
What should I do if chilled food arrives above 8°C from a supplier?: 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.; Read more →
Do I need to keep delivery paperwork from food suppliers?: Yes, retaining all delivery notes and invoices from your food suppliers is essential.; Read more →
What should I check on tins when they arrive from a food supplier?: 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.; Read more →
What if the food supplier sends different products than what we ordered?: When a supplier substitutes products, it is important that the changes are clearly documented in writing. Verbal notifications are not acceptable.; Read more →
Can I accept food from a supplier that's close to its use-by date?: 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.; Read more →
What if I find pest damage in a food delivery?: If you find pest damage in a food delivery, immediately reject the affected items.; Read more →
Do I need to take temperatures between packages in food deliveries or can I pierce them?: 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.; Read more →
If frozen food looks partially defrosted, can I still accept the food delivery?: 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.; Read more →
What's the minimum use-by date we should accept on a food delivery?: For food deliveries, ensure that products have at least 5 days of usage remaining on their use-by dates.; Read more →

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Demo: Setting up Food Delivery Checks in Pilla

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