The flow of food in food service, from receiving ingredients to serving customers, demands strict time and temperature controls to prevent bacterial growth and ensure safety.

At the receiving and storage stage, fresh potentially hazardous foods like meats, dairy, or cooked vegetables must arrive at 4 Celsius or colder, the lower limit of the danger zone (4 Celsius to 60 Celsius), where bacterial spores and most bacteria cannot multiply.

Frozen foods must be received at -18 Celsius or colder to slow deterioration and destroy parasites and their eggs, though bacteria and viruses survive.

Reject deliveries not meeting these temperatures to avoid temperature abuse, and check for other signs of abuse (detailed in Module 9). These practices—proper receiving and storage, strict temperature checks, and rejecting non-compliant deliveries—are critical for food handlers to prevent bacterial growth and parasite transmission, ensuring consumer safety and reducing foodborne illness risks by adhering to safe food handling protocols.

Read more About the lesson (Optional)

Welcome to the eighth lesson in the Understanding Foodborne Illness module of the Safe Food Handler Certificate course! In this lesson, you’ll learn the critical time and temperature controls for receiving and storing potentially hazardous foods to prevent foodborne illness. Let’s dive in!

The Flow of Food

In food service, the flow of food spans from receiving ingredients from suppliers to serving customers. Each stage has critical time and temperature limits to prevent bacterial growth. Exceeding these limits means food should be discarded to avoid foodborne illness risks.

Receiving and Storage Stage

The first step in the flow of food is receiving and storage, where strict temperature controls are essential:

• Fresh Potentially Hazardous Foods: Must be received at 4°C or colder, the lower limit of the danger zone (4°C to 60°C). At or below 4°C, bacterial spores and most bacteria cannot multiply.
• Frozen Foods: Must be received at -18°C or colder, which slows food deterioration and destroys parasites and their eggs (but not bacteria or viruses).
• Action: Reject deliveries not meeting these temperatures to prevent temperature abuse. Even if temperatures are correct, check for other signs of temperature abuse (covered in Module 9).

Why This Matters

Proper receiving and storage prevent bacterial growth and parasite transmission, ensuring food safety from the start. Rejecting non-compliant deliveries protects customers and reduces foodborne illness risks. Check course resources for more guidance on safe food handling practices, with details on spotting temperature abuse in Module 9.

Key Takeaways:

• The flow of food requires time and temperature controls at each stage, starting with receiving and storage.
• Receive fresh potentially hazardous foods at 4°C or colder and frozen foods at -18°C or colder, rejecting non-compliant deliveries.
• Freezing at -18°C destroys parasites but not bacteria or viruses, and proper temperatures prevent bacterial growth.