Food Storage for Food Safety -And Quality!

Smart operators know that the way food is packaged and stored will affect the safety and quality of the product. Food that is poor quality frequently gets tossed, upping costs. Paying attention to storage materials and packaging is a best practice to maintain food quality. The lines between food processors and foodservice are blurring. It seems more and more foodservices are using in-house processing techniques, whether through smoking meats, use of sous vide, cook-chill, or preservation of summer produce as many farm to foodservice programs do. It is critical that proper packaging materials and processes be used.

In this blog, we will focus on considerations when communicating with vendors. Later in the month, we will address the types of food storage materials that will best maintain the safety and quality of foods.

Those in charge of purchasing food should consider the quantity needed and the packaging materials.  Most of us appreciate “value buys” – I know I have on more than one occasion purchased a super-sized container of food (yes, the movie theater popcorn!) only to end up wasting some of it. Buying the “just right” amount can be tricky – that is why taking precautionary steps to ensure shelf life can prevent food loss. Food processors have their processes down pretty well. So, a foodservice might consider purchasing individually quick frozen units of meats or entrees compared to bulk packaging. The same amount can be purchased, but the individual packages gives more flexibility for use. While there may be a slightly higher unit cost, product quality and safety will be maintained.

The person who makes food buying decisions should also think about whether the packaging will protect the food from point of production to delivery at your foodservice. For some foods, proper pack and storage of the item will have a big impact on the quality when it is delivered. One example is tray packed fiberboard cases of fresh apples to protect from bruising during transit.

Food Code 2017 (and past versions) references food package materials in Chapter 3.

3-202.15 Package Integrity

Food packages shall be in good condition and protect the integrity of the contents so that the FOOD is not exposed to ADULTERATION of potential contaminants.

The Food and Drug Administration (in the Code of Federal Regulations or CFR) provide guidance to food processors about package materials to protect integrity of the food.  These are food grade materials. Many food manufacturers use food grade plastics as the package container. Recognize there are different formulas for different types of plastics. Processors carefully determine the best package material to use to protect quality and safety of food. Note that plastic containers used as a food package are intended as Single Use Items, these are NOT intended for re-use as a food storage container. Food Code prohibits re-use of single use items by foodservices. Now at home, that is a different story – (Who hasn’t used cleaned margarine containers to store leftovers?). However, in foodservices, we have a responsibility for the public’s health. The issue is that the plastics break down during repeated cleaning and sanitizing. The degradation is known as “crazing”.

As the buyer, you need to be alert to the packaging used. We found in our early days with farm to school projects, local growers were using plastic garbage bags to transfer lettuce greens to the schools. They were not aware that those garbage bags are treated with chemicals to reduce odors and ward off pests. They are not intended for food contact. While most foodservice suppliers know the importance of packaging, there may be a need to communicate with local food suppliers.

Be present when food is delivered so that packages can be checked for any evidence of damage or tampering, and to verify that the package contents is reflected on the label. Also check that quality and quantity of what was ordered was delivered. These actions demonstrate that your operation has taken reasonable care to ensure safety of the food.

Risk Nothing!

 

Meat Color and Doneness: Persistent Pinking

Late in June, my family and I were able to visit the Black Hills, an area of the country in which I have not had the opportunity to spend much time.  One evening, as we dined at a local restaurant, I observed a table across the dining room sending back a dinner.  While I couldn’t hear the entire conversation and I certainly wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, it was apparent that the customer was unhappy with the cooking of their hamburger and was sending it back because it was too pink in the middle.  That immediately brought to my mind the phenomenon known as persistent pinking.  A term I became familiar with because of work done by some colleagues here at Kansas State, which they present each summer to a group of foodservice operators who join us on-campus for an in-depth week-long look at all things food safety.

Quat Binding – Why this Can Have a Disastrous Impact on Your Sanitation Program.

In June, I had the opportunity to represent FoodHandler and speak on food safety behavior for customers of Martin Bros. Distributing in Waterloo, Iowa.  One of the questions that was asked caught me a little off guard. The question was about quat binding.  It caught me off guard not because it was a bad question, but only because it was not something I had previously been asked nor had not yet been exposed to the phenomenon. However, I soon learned that in certain jurisdictions, it is resulting in changes to how sanitizing cloths are to be stored in sanitizing buckets (or not) in the foodservice industry. When I returned home from the trip, I had to dig into it to learn about what quat binding is and how it might impact foodservice operations.

Are Grades for Foodservice Inspections a Good Idea?

I generally try to stay away from controversial topics in my blog, but this is one I thought it might be interesting to discuss. Occasionally on my travels, I will come across a state or a local jurisdiction that requires foodservice inspection scores be posted in the window of the establishment.  The idea is to allow would-be customers the ability to see how the foodservice operation in which they are about to eat scored on their latest health inspection.