Delivery Checks

Every food business receives stock, whether it is delivered, or they go and collect from the supplier. Delivery checks help ensure the stock your business purchases meets food safety requirements. Afterall, what is the point of taking so many steps to ensure safe food within your kitchen, if the food is already unsafe before it reaches you?

Delivery checks could include the following - 

• Is the stock from one of your approved suppliers?
• Is it delivered at the correct temperature? This should be below 8oC for chilled foods. A suggested temperature for frozen deliveries is -15oC or below, but the important thing is that there are no signs of the product starting to defrost.
• Is the food within its use by date? It should also be considered if there is enough shelf life remaining for you to use the product safely. You may have a policy to only accept fresh food with 3 or more days left before it expires, for example.
• Has the food been correctly separated to avoid cross-contamination? Just like in your kitchen, raw and ready-to-eat foods, and allergens, should be separated during transport.
• Is the packaging intact? Damage packaging could be a sign of contamination from pests. Blown or dented cans could indicate possible contamination with pathogens.
• Is the delivery vehicle and staff clean and hygienic?
• If any issues are found with the delivery, it is worth noting what actions were taken. Part or all of a delivery may be rejected, or a supplier may be changed if problems are persistent.

If you collect your stock from a cash and carry, for example, you may wish to carry out the same checks when loading and unloading your vehicle.