Food Safety Basics: Receiving and Storing Food Safely

Storing food safely means holding cold food below 5°C, hot food above 60°C and frozen food at −18°C or colder. Safe receiving means checking those same temperatures before you accept the stock. Get both right and bacteria never get the conditions they need to multiply rapidly.

The Food Standards Code requires food businesses in Australia to keep potentially hazardous food out of conditions that let bacteria grow. Miss it and you risk a failed inspection from a local Environmental Health Officer, wasted stock or a customer who gets sick from something you served.

What to check when receiving food deliveries

Receiving food deliveries is the first control point in your kitchen. Once you sign for a delivery it becomes your responsibility, so check it before the driver leaves.

Use a clean probe thermometer to check temperatures on arrival. Cold potentially hazardous food should be 5°C or colder, hot food 60°C or hotter and frozen food should be frozen hard with no sign of thawing or ice crystals inside the packaging. Check that packaging is clean, sealed and undamaged, and that every item is labelled with its name and a use-by or best-before date.

Reject a delivery when the temperature is wrong, the date has passed, the packaging is torn or tampered with, or you notice off odours, discolouration, a slimy surface or signs of pests. Record what you rejected and tell your supplier. Move accepted stock into storage straight away rather than leaving it on a bench, then clean and sanitise the surfaces the delivery touched.

Storing food safely

Your fridge should hold potentially hazardous food at 5°C or colder and your freezer at −15°C or colder. The range between 5°C and 60°C is the Temperature Danger Zone, where bacteria multiply fastest, so the aim of every storage decision is to keep food out of this zone. Check your food storage temperature at least once a day with a probe thermometer rather than trusting the appliance display, and keep a written record.

Inside the fridge, store raw meat, poultry and seafood on the bottom shelves in sealed containers, with ready-to-eat food stored on higher shelves. That single habit does more for preventing cross-contamination than almost anything else. Keep everything covered, labelled and dated, and rotate stock first in, first out (FIFO) so older items get used before newer deliveries.

Cooked food heading for the fridge needs to be cooled in two stages: from 60°C to 21°C within two hours, then from 21°C to 5°C within a further four hours. Divide large batches into shallow containers to help them cool quickly. Dry goods belong in sealed containers off the floor, in a cool area away from chemicals and cleaning and sanitising supplies.

Common receiving and storage mistakes

• Signing for a delivery before checking temperature of food items
• Leaving accepted stock on the bench while dealing with something else
• Storing raw meat above ready-to-eat food
• Leaving a hot pot on the bench overnight to cool down
• Trusting the fridge display instead of a probe thermometer

Why getting this right matters

Storing food safely is not optional under the Food Standards Code. Environmental Health Officers look at temperature records, fridge and freezer readings and stock rotation when they inspect, and a business that cannot show it controls those things has a problem well before anyone gets sick.

Most food businesses need a trained Food Safety Supervisor, and every Food Handler benefits from knowing the temperatures for safe food storage. The Food Safety Supervisor course delivered by Food Safety First covers receiving, storage, temperature control and record keeping.

Enrol online today or contact us to talk it through.

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature should a fridge be for storing food safely?

Below 5°C for potentially hazardous food. Check it daily with a probe thermometer rather than relying on the built-in display.

How cold does a freezer need to be?

−15°C or colder, and the food should stay frozen hard. Soft items or ice crystals inside the packaging mean the freezer is not holding temperature.

How long can cooked food sit out before it goes in the fridge?

It needs to drop from 60°C to 21°C within two hours, then from 21°C to 5°C within a further four hours. Shallow containers make that achievable.

Can I refuse a delivery?

Yes. If food arrives at the wrong temperature, past its date or in damaged packaging, reject it, record it and let your supplier know.