Food Safety:How to Reduce Food Spoilage (2/2)

? Check and record refrigerator temperatures at least twice a day. ? Refrigeration units do not cool by cold temperatures alone. When placing foods in a refrigerator, allow sufficient space between packages for air circulation and keep items away from the inside walls. Do not store foods directly on the floor of a walk-in cooler. Section 4: Usage Procedures Reducing spoilage takes constant vigilance. Build the following practices into your daily food-usage procedures. ? Make sure employees always check the use-by or expiration date on products. Discard products if the use-by or expiration date has passed. ? Inventory most foods on a daily basis so that you'll know how much shelf life they have left. ? If you realize that you have an excess amount of a particular item, develop a daily special that uses the product before it spoils. ? Check that cold foods are held at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below and hot foods are maintained at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The FDA Food Code allows for potentially hazardous foods-including, but not limited to meat, egg and cheese products-to be between 41 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for no longer than a total of four hours. After four hours, the product must be discarded. ? To deter bacteria growth, pre-cool hot items before storing them in a refrigerator by using chill blasters, cooling wands and ice baths. If hot food must be cooled in the refrigerator, divide the food into small batches to quicken the cooling process. ? Despite your best efforts, some items will start to go bad. If you're trying to determine whether something is usable, remember the classic adage-when in doubt, throw it out. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation offers products and courses to help train employees in safe food-storage and -handling procedures. For information on the Foundation's ServSafe?and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) materials, call the Educational Foundation at (800) 765-2122, extension 701, or log onto www.nraef.org.