Safe Food Storage Checklists

Use this safe food storage procedures checklist to assess if procedures follow standards and if proper temperature levels are maintained. Perform regular assessments to ensure consistency in food storage procedures.

1. Conduct an inspection of dry, refrigerated, and freezer storage
2. Evaluate if storage procedures follow standard guidelines
3. Take or attach photos of areas or items of compliance and non-compliance
4. Provide comments or notes where necessary
5. Immediately assign corrective actions for areas or items found non-compliant
6. Sign off with digital signatures

What is Safe Food Storage?

Safe food storage is the act of adhering to food storage guidelines set by the local government. Establishing proper food storage procedures is crucial in maintaining food safety. Improperly stored food poses the risk of foodborne illnesses and costly ramifications, such as fines, penalties, product recalls, and total plant shutdown.

What Makes a Safe Food Storage?

Safe food storage should be compliant with proper food storage and food hygiene procedures. It should consider storage temperatures and specific procedures for different types of food. As a guide, below are the best practices for storing different types of food:

Dry Foods

Dry foods refer to canned goods, baking supplies, grains, and cereals. These types of food are stored in dry storage areas which should follow the following guidelines:

• Storage area should be dry and cool with an ideal temperature range of 50°F to 59°F (10°C to 15°C) to prevent swelling and spoilage of canned goods.
• Storage area should be easy to clean and free from rodents and vermin. Walls, ceiling, and floor openings should be sealed and protected.
• Storage area should be well lit and with adequate air circulation
  Food should be stored away from direct sources of heat and sunlight and placed off the floor and away from walls.
• Storage area should be kept away from poisonous substances. This means cleaning products and chemicals should not be stored together in a room with non-perishable food.
• Storage area should have a lock and key to prevent pilferage.

Refrigerated Products

Refrigerated products refer to raw foods or products. It’s vital that these products be refrigerated to prolong shelf life and prevent bacterial growth. Optimize refrigerated storage conditions by following these guidelines:

• Refrigerator temperature should be kept at 39°F (4°C) or cooler.
• Refrigerator temperature should be monitored daily using a thermometer for easy and accurate readings.
• Refrigerators should be in good working order and regularly maintained.
• Refrigerators should be regularly cleaned. This also entails checking expiration dates and clearing of nearly expired or expired goods.
• Refrigerator products should be stored in containers or sealed storage bags to prevent spills and cross-contamination.
• Refrigerators should have enough open, slotted shelving to allow air circulation around shelves and refrigerator walls.
• Refrigerators should always be closed tightly and seals checked regularly to maintain efficiency and appropriate temperatures.

Dairy Products

Dairy products must be stored at a temperature of 36°F to 39°F. Below are additional guidelines to protect dairy products from contamination and spoilage:

• Dairy products should have their own area and be placed in protective coverings or containers to prevent absorption of strong odors from storage surroundings.
• Dairy products should be ordered not too far in advance of their use date.
• Dairy products should ideally be delivered on a daily basis.

Produce

Produce are mostly stored in the refrigerator, with some exceptions. Cold-season crops like cabbage, brussels sprouts and potatoes should be stored at cooler temperatures while warm-season crops like corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes should be stored at warmer temperatures. Below are factors to keep in mind when storing produce:

• Soft fruits should not be stored for too long.
• Unripe fruits can be ripened at 50°F to 59°F (10°C to 15°C) storage temperature.
• Remove rotting fruits from cases to prevent destroying the quality of other fruits in the case.
• Provide special storage for produce which shouldn’t be stored in the refrigerator.
• Keep track of shelf life of produce as it varies widely per type.

Fresh Meats, Poultry, and Seafood

Fresh meats, poultry, and seafood are the most crucial in terms of food storage. These products should be refrigerated at a temperature of 39°F or cooler to prevent bacteria growth that can cause foodborne illnesses. Ensure the safety of your consumers by considering the following factors when storing fresh meats, poultry, and seafood:

• Carcass meats should be unwrapped and hung, stored within 34°C to 37°F (1°C to 3°C), and placed above absorbent paper for quick cleanup of drips.
• Fresh meat should not be kept for too long.
• Boned meat should be kept no longer than 3 days.
• Individual cuts should be used within 2 days (preferably on the day they are cut).
• Individual meat cuts should be kept in plastic or stainless steel trays at 36°F to 39°F ( 2°C to 4°C ) temperature.
• Fresh poultry should be packed in ice even when stored in the refrigerator.
• Fresh seafood should be packed in ice, stored at 30°F to 34°F (−1°C to 2°C), and must be consumed as soon as possible.
• Raw products should be stored on the lower shelves of the refrigerator, below cooked products.

Frozen Food

This refers to food preserved through freezing to retain quality and freshness. It could either be fruit and vegetables or fish and meat. Without proper storage and the right temperature, food can become discolored and lose its vitamin content, or worse, cause food poisoning to consumers. Consider the following factors in properly storing frozen foods to prevent freezer burns, moisture loss, and transfer of smells to and from other foods:

• Maintain freezer storage spaces at 0°F (-17.78°C) or below.
• Freezer units should have thermometers for easy reading, and a back-up appliance thermometer in case of a power outage.
• Use freezer-safe containers or freezer bags and leave as little air inside as possible.
• Wrap meats and baked goods tightly with foil before placing them in freezer bags.
• Cool hot food before freezing them.
• Label and date freezer bags or containers to keep track of shelf life.

Global companies conduct inspections with us

See how a trusted food delivery business in Australia, Marley Spoon, raises the bar on food quality and customer satisfaction using SafetyCulture:

SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor)’s Role in Sustaining Safe Food Storage

SafetyCulture is the world’s #1 mobile inspection app that can assist you in driving consistent food storage standards to ensure food safety and quality. Perform real-time audits using your mobile device or tablet. SafetyCulture helps food facilities standardize food safety and quality by helping perform inspections that deliver accurate and comprehensive results. The SafetyCulture mobile app will help you:

• Easily build and customize food storage monitoring checklists according to your business needs
• Take photo evidence of compliant or non-compliant items and add annotations if needed
• Immediately assign and receive corrective actions during an inspection
• Automatically generate comprehensive reports as you finish an inspection
• Provide real-time visibility and insights on food operations with analytics
• Monitor temperature and humidity readings automatically. Learn more about SafetyCulture’s temperature and humidity sensors.

Featured Safe Food Storage Checklists

Food Safety Checklist

This food safety checklist can be used as a guide in assessing if current standard procedures adhere to food safety standards. This checklist involves inspecting storage, handling and preparation procedures. Use this checklist to also monitor employees, ensure they implement food safety procedures to reduce risks of fines, litigation and business shut-down.

Food Inventory Checklist

Use this food inventory checklist in recording food stocks in your pantry. Maximize using this template by providing the type of food, label, quantity and expiration date. Take photos of food item if necessary. Use SafetyCulture (iAuditor)’s scheduled audits feature to assign templates to inventory clerks when conducting daily, weekly or monthly food inventory checks. This hassle-free scheduling of audits with SafetyCulture (iAuditor) will save admins the effort of constantly remembering which inspections to do and which checklists to use.

Jai Andales is a content writer and researcher for SafetyCulture since 2018. As a content specialist, she creates well-researched articles about health and safety topics. She is also passionate about empowering businesses to utilize technology in building a culture of safety and quality.

Explore more templates

Food Safety Checklist

This food safety checklist can be used as a guide in assessing if current standard procedures adhere to food safety standards. This checklist involves inspecting storage, handling and preparation procedures. Use this checklist to also monitor employees, ensure they implement food safety procedures to reduce risks of fines, litigation and business shut-down.

Food Inventory Checklist

Use this food inventory checklist in recording food stocks in your pantry. Maximize using this template by providing the type of food, label, quantity and expiration date. Take photos of food item if necessary. Use SafetyCulture (iAuditor)’s scheduled audits feature to assign templates to inventory clerks when conducting daily, weekly or monthly food inventory checks. This hassle-free scheduling of audits with SafetyCulture (iAuditor) will save admins the effort of constantly remembering which inspections to do and which checklists to use.