United States
Hong KongReceiving: the temperatures to accept and the reasons to reject
Cold TCS food at 5°C (41°F) or below, hot at 57°C (135°F) or above, shell eggs at 7°C (45°F) ambient air, frozen food frozen solid. Rejection happens at the door, in front of the driver, with the reason recorded.
Receiving is the only point where a problem can leave the building as easily as it arrived. After the driver goes, it is yours.
The temperatures
| Item | Accept at |
|---|---|
| Cold TCS food | 5°C (41°F) or below |
| Hot TCS food | 57°C (135°F) or above |
| Shell eggs | 7°C (45°F) ambient air |
| Milk | 7°C (45°F), cooled to 5°C (41°F) within 4 hours |
| Live and shucked shellfish | 7°C (45°F), cooled to 5°C (41°F) within 4 hours |
| Frozen food | Frozen solid |
Two numbers dominate: 41°F for almost everything cold, 45°F for the short list of exceptions. Getting the exceptions right is what the questions test. Learn the exceptions.
Reject at the door
- Frozen items with large ice crystals, fluid stains on the case, or a solid block where individual pieces should be - all signs of thawing and refreezing.
- Cans that are swollen, leaking, rusted through, or dented on a seam.
- Packaging that is torn, punctured, water-stained or crushed.
- Off odors, slime, discolouration, or texture that is wrong.
- Live shellfish arriving without tags, or with tags that do not match.
- Any sign of pest activity in the load.
- A delivery vehicle that is dirty, or carrying chemicals alongside food.
Signing accepts the delivery. Once accepted, the product is in your inventory, the supplier has no obligation, and disposal is your cost and your record. Rejection happens with the driver present, and the reason is written down.
The dented can rule
Not every dent is a rejection. A dent in the body of a can that does not affect the seams and does not stop the can from being stacked is usually acceptable.
A dent on the side seam or either end seam is not, because that is where the seal is. And any swelling is an automatic rejection - gas inside a sealed can is microbial growth, and Clostridium botulinum is the reason nobody negotiates about it.
Practical receiving
Schedule deliveries for a time when someone can actually inspect them, rather than the middle of service. Have a thermometer at the door. Check the highest-risk items first, because the load is warming while you work.
Put things away in order of risk too: frozen, then refrigerated, then dry goods. A pallet of tinned tomatoes can wait ten minutes; a case of chicken cannot.
Records
Temperature at receipt, the time, who checked it, and any rejection with its reason. Shellfish tags filed and kept 90 days from the date the last shellfish from that container was served.
Common questions
What temperature should refrigerated deliveries be?
5°C (41°F) or below for cold TCS food. Shell eggs are 7°C (45°F) ambient air, and milk and shellfish may arrive at 45°F provided they are cooled to 41°F within four hours.
Should you reject a dented can?
A dent on a side or end seam, yes, because that is where the seal is. A dent in the body that does not affect the seams is usually acceptable. Any swelling is an automatic rejection.
What are the signs frozen food has thawed and been refrozen?
Large ice crystals, fluid stains on the case, and individual pieces frozen into a solid block. All three mean the product left temperature control at some point.
Can you accept a delivery and sort it out later?
No. Signing accepts the delivery, and after that the product, the cost and the disposal record are yours. Rejection happens at the door with the driver present and the reason recorded.
How long do you keep shellfish tags?
Ninety days from the date the last shellfish from that container was served, so the batch can be traced if an illness is later linked to it.