The Food Product Flow

The Flow of Food

- Describes what happens to food from the time it enters the workplace until
it is served to the customers.
- It refers to a process of receiving, storing, preparing, cooking, holding,
serving, cooling and reheating that the food goes through in a food service
facility.
Purchasing

- Effective purchasing paves the way for a successful food service operation.
- Purchasing involves obtaining the necessary foods in the right quantity, of
the best quality, at the right time, in the right place, and for the most
economical price.
Objectives of an effective Purchasing Program

1. Buy the product that is best suited for the job;

2. Buy the proper quantity;
3. pay the right price
4. Deal with only reputable, dependable suppliers
Purchase Specifications
- Make the task of comparison easier, since the characteristics of a product are
expressed in a common language and can be used as a basis for evaluation.

- The following are the guidelines that detail the characteristics of a product:
1.Quality grade

2. Weight

3. Count

4. Contents

5. packaging
Guidelines toPurchasing Food

1. Understand regulations for specific foods.

2. Visit approved vendors to ensure that they maintain cleanliness in their
warehouses.
3. Observe delivery vehicles to ensure that they are clean and that they
practice temperature control.
4. Use written product specifications to ensurethathe vendors know what is
to be ordered.
Receiving

All food should bechecked forproper conditions once they are received by the

facility.

When a deliveryis made, it should be checked for both quality and quantity.

The staff of a food establishment should check for temperatures and

conditions of received foods at once, so they can be stored as soon as

possible.
General Principles when Receiving Food

1. Receive only one delivery at a time from approved suppliers.

2. Check to make sure that frozen food is solid and does not show any evidence of thawing and
re-freezing.
3. Record the date received, and if applicable, an expiration date on the outside of each package.
4. Remove PHF from the TDZ and place in storage as soon as possible.
5. Check to ensure that refrigerated foods are received below 5 degrees Celsius.
6. Accept only pasteurized dairy products.
7.Reject PHF that are not at acceptable temperature, and cans with swelled

tops or bottoms, leakage, flawed seals, rust, or dents.

8. Evaluate the quality of products through their odor, look, and texture.

Products must meet specifications and quality requirements. If any foods are

deemed unacceptable, they should be declined.

Storage

•General-Practice F.I.F.O. (First In, First Out)

-Store chemical products away from food products.

-When foods are repackaged, clearly label and date container.

-All food containers must be properly covered.

•Refrigeration Storage-All refrigeration units must have an accurate indicating thermometer.

-Temperatures must be maintained at 4ºC (40ºF) or less.

-Store all raw foods below cooked or ready to eat foods to prevent cross contamination.

-Avoid packing refrigerator full, air needs to circulate to maintain proper temperature.

•Freezer Storage-Must be maintained at -18ºC (0ºF) or less.

•Dry Storage-Keep food at least 15cm (6in) off the floor to facilitate cleaning and to easily identify rodent

problem.
Preparation

• Wash your hands before beginning preparation and in- between tasks.

• Prepare food in small batches.

• Prevent cross contamination by cleaning and sanitizing utensils and work

surfaces in between tasks, or by using color coded cutting boards for different

foods.

• Prepare the food as close to serving time as possible.

Thawing/Defrosting

Food can be safely defrosted:

• In the refrigerator;

• Under cold running

water;

• In the microwave on the

defrost cycle;

• Raw food defrosted

should not be refrozen;

Cooking
Microwave Cooking

• Hot and cold spots - if no rotating base on the microwave physically

stop the cooking process and turn the food occasionally.

•Check internal temperature at 3 different sites.

•Place thicker portions of food toward the exterior of the microwave

dish.

•Ensure the containers are microwave safe.

Cooling–the process of removing heat from food quickly enough to prevent microbial growth.

Food should be cooled from 60ºC (140ºF) to 4ºC (40ºF)

within 4 to 6 hours. It can take hours, if not days, for large quantities of food to cool to appropriate

temperatures.

Suggestions of how to reduce cooling times:

• Place pots of food in an ice water bath.

• Divide large quantities of food into smaller containers 10cm (4in) in depth.

• Stir frequently.

• Slice or divide large cuts of meat into smaller pieces.

•Place in the refrigerator and once it cools to 4ºC(40ºF) cover the container.
Hot and Cold Holding–to maintain food at a holding temperature to limit the

growth of bacteria.

Proper Hot Holding

•Maintain temperature of hazardous food above 60°C (140°F).

•Check internal temperature of the food using a metal stem probe

thermometer every 2 hours.

•Never cook or reheat food in hot holding equipment.

Proper Cold Holding

• Keep food cold in refrigerated display units or on ice. The internal

temperature of the food must be maintained at 4ºC (40ºF) or less

Reheating- thermal process to eat food that have been

previously cooked and cooled.

•Reheat cold hazardous food to original cooking temperature.

•Reheat quickly on or in the stove.

•Never reheat slowly over several hours in hot holding units.

Place food in/on stove or in microwave to reheat then place

in hot holding units.

Serving

• Prevent cross-contamination by ensuring servers take appropriate personal

hygiene measures (e.g. Hand washing, no direct contact with food).

• Ensure clean and sanitized utensils are used.

• Do not stack plates when serving meals to customers.

• Ensure service areas kept clean, and regularly wipe down menus.

• Serve hot foods hot, cold foods cold

If transporting foods, ensure vehicles are clean and foods are held at proper hot

or cold holding temperatures.