Dairy products

Purchase only pasteurized dairy products. Unpasteurized milk and other dairy products are potential sources of microorganisms such as Salmonella spp., campylobacter jejuni, and Listeria monogytogenes, all of which can cause serious illness. All milk and milk products should be labeled “Grade A.” This means they meet standards for quality and sanitary processing methods set by the FDA and U.S. Public Health Service. Dairy products with the Grade A label – such as cream, dried milk, cottage cheese, cream cheese, butter, cheese – and frozen products like ice-cream, are made with pasteurized milk.

Like other refrigerated products, milk and diary products should be received at 41F (5C) or lower, unless the law governing their distribution specifies a different temperature. Check with the proper regulatory agency for temperature requirements.

Fresh milk has sweetish taste. Any milk that tastes sour, bitter, or moldy should be rejected. Milk has a sell-by date stamped on the container. Milk delivered after that date, as well as milk with any off odor, should be rejected.

Butter should have a sweet flavor, uniform color, and firm texture. Check for signs of mold, specks, or other foreign matter. Make sure containers are clean and undamaged. Don’t accept any butter that is rancid or has absorbed odors.

In the United States, all cheeses must meet certain standards of identity. In order for the product to be called “cheddar” or “mozzarella,” for example the government specifies ingredients that must be used, maximum moisture content, minimum fat content and general characteristics. When cheeses are delivered, check to see each type has its typical flavor, texture, and color. If the cheese has a rind, it should be clean and unbroken. Cheese should have no signs of mold or off odors. As always, check for proper temperature and clean, undamaged packaging.

Fresh produce

Fresh fruit and vegetables have different temperature requirements for transportation and storage, so they may be held at different temperatures. No specific temperature is mandated by regulation for the transportation and storage of fresh produce, with a few exceptions. Cut melons, a potentially hazardous food, must be held at 41F (5C) or lower. Fresh-cut produce is best held at 33F to 41F (1C to 5C) tj maintain quality.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are highly perishable and should be put into storage quickly. Most produce should not sit out at room temperature, let alone on a warm dock. Have a system in place to get fresh-cut and highly perishable items into a cooler.

In general, produce should not be washed before it is stored. While washing would not hurt leafy green items, many other products are likely to decay faster if washed before storage. This is especially true for mushrooms and berries. Wash produce just before preparing and serving it.

All fruit and vegetables should be handled with care. If they are pinched squeezed, or roughly handled, they will bruise and spoil more quickly.

Check products being delivered for signs of mishandling and insect infestation, including insect eggs and egg cases. Visually inspect produce for quality. Spoilage will show up in a variety of ways, including mold, blemishes, cuts, mushiness, discoloration, wilting, or dull appearance. What applies to one fruit or vegetable may not apply to another. For example, peaches with cuts in them could be considered poor quality, but potatoes and carrots with cuts would be considered acceptable. Discoloration in produce may vary as well. For example, oranges may actually revert to a green color without affecting the quality of the orange or its juice.

Use smell and taste to help determine product quality. Unpleasant odors will tell you when a product is not acceptable. With fruit, sometimes taste is the best test. Outer peels or skins can be blemished without affecting flavor or quality. Be sure to wash or peel fruit and vegetables carefully before tasting them.

Since there are so many ways produce can show signs of spoilage, employees need to learn not only how to identify obviously unacceptable produce, but also produce that will spoil quickly in storage.