Slide #1: Storing Food Supplies
Hello, this is ___________ with Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer
Sciences. Welcome to Lesson 3. Storing Food Supplies of the Occasional Quantity
Cooks series.
Slide #2: Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, occasional quantity cooks will be able to:
 Store all types of food safely, and
 Know and apply safe storage times and temperatures for food supplies
Slide #3: Introduction – Storage of your Food is Important
Storage of your food is important because spoilage can develop while the food is
waiting to be prepared for eating.
Slide #4: Watch the Dates on Foods you Purchase
Watch the dates on the foods you purchased. Do you know the difference between a
sell-by date and an expiration date?
 A sell-by date is the last day a store should keep the item on display for
purchase. Food purchased before the sell-by date is usually safe for several
days after the date. Check the dates carefully so the product will still be safe to
use for your event.
 An expiration date means the food is not usable after that date. Few foods carry
expiration dates; yeast is an exception.
 Items that do not come with a sell-by or expiration date need to be marked
before storage.
 A general rule to follow is First In, First Out or FIFO. This process means that
whatever you purchase and store first, you use first.
 Remember that fresh, perishable foods should be used as soon as possible.
 There are many questions about the length of time a food should be stored.
Handouts 3-1 Storing Food Supplies and 3-2 Special Care for Special Foods will
help you when making these decisions.
Slide #5: Use Thermometers to Check the Temperature of Food and
Food Storage Areas
There are a variety of types of thermometers to check the temperature of food and food
storage areas to ensure safety.
 Bimetallic-stemmed or digital
 Refrigerator
 Freezer
Slide #6: Types of Food Storage
There are three types of storage for foods: refrigeration, freezing, and dry storage.
Proper food storage begins with checking your storage space to see if you have the
amount of space needed. Some questions that you should ask yourself are:
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Do you have enough refrigeration to store everything to allow air to circulate
around the food so that it will cool properly?
Do you have enough freezer space?
And, do you have enough shelves and cabinets to store supplies to ensure they
are not stored directly on the floor?
Is the original packaging the right size to store in your refrigerator, freezer, or
pantry? Be prepared to repackage food in food safe containers if necessary.
SLIDE #7: Food Storage Areas
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Check for cleanliness in your storage areas.
Refrigerators, ice chests and coolers should be cleaned and sanitized. Spilled
foods can be a source of unwanted bacteria.
No rodents or insects should be in the areas where you are storing dry goods.
Slide #8: Repackaging
Let’s talk about how the food purchased will fit into your storage areas. Large quantities
of food come in large packages and may need to be repackaged to fit your storage
areas.
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Use only food-grade storage containers. Garbage bags are not food-grade and
belong with the garbage.
Single use food containers such as whipped topping, margarine, and bread
wrappers are not heavy enough to protect food for long-term storage. Also, foam
or paper containers are not meant for reuse and cannot be cleaned properly.
All containers should have tight fitting lids, or you should have plenty of
aluminum foil or plastic wrap on hand to cover the food.
Don’t forget to label and date repackaged foods.
Meats and poultry should be packaged securely so that meat juices will not
contaminate other foods, especially fresh produce that will be eaten raw.
It is not a good practice to thaw large containers of frozen foods, repackage, and
then refreeze them because of contamination and loss of quality. If no other safe
solution is available to you, you may need to thaw the food, cook it, then
repackage and refreeze. There may be some loss of quality, but the risk of
contamination is less.
Slide #9: The Refrigerator
Do you know where the warmest and coolest parts of a refrigerator are located?
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Keep a thermometer in your refrigerator to check the temperatures of various
parts. A good rule is to place your thermometer in the warmest part of the
refrigerator to ensure the area is 40°F or less. Normally, the coolest part of a
home-type refrigerator is the area closest to the condenser. The vegetable bin
area is usually the least cool.
Walk-in commercial refrigerators are coldest in the back and warmest in the
front. Remember that opening the refrigerator door frequently will cause the
temperature to get warmer than is normally recommended for a refrigerator.
Ideally, foods should be kept at the coldest temperature possible to maintain
safety and quality. Many commercial foodservice operations have separate
refrigerators for different foods. If possible, this is a good idea for occasional
quantity cooks, too.
Slide #10: The Freezer
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Freezers are designed to keep foods at 0°F or lower.
As with the refrigerator, a thermometer should be kept in the freezer and the
temperature should be checked regularly.
If the temperature in the freezer gets above 32°F, the food will begin to thaw. If
the food begins to thaw, it can safely be used if the temperature does not exceed
40°F for more than 2 hours.
Food that has partially thawed (under 40°F) can safely be refrozen. Be aware
that this food will have a loss of flavor, texture, or color.
Raw food that has completely thawed but is still safe should be used within a day
or two or cooked thoroughly and refrozen.
SLIDE #11: Power Outages
Planning ahead for potential power outages can help prevent headaches and food
spoilage. Think about the following:
 If the freezer is packed tightly, it is possible for the food to maintain low
temperatures for a couple of days. If the freezer is only half full of food, then the
low temperatures may not be maintained for more than a day.
 The temperature before the power loss can affect how long the food will stay
frozen. The colder the freezer, the longer the food will stay frozen. If you know
that the electricity will be turned off, drop the temperature of the freezer as low
as it will go so the food will be protected longer. This should be well below 0°
Fahrenheit.
 If necessary, commercial ice packs can be used to delay the temperature from
rising above 32°F. Food could also be moved to another freezer in another
facility if it becomes necessary.
Slide #12: Dry Storage
Some foods can be stored without refrigeration or freezing. Be sure you have plenty of
dry storage space.
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Cabinets and shelves are fine as long as the food is stored off the floor, and the
area is dry and clean.
The area needs to be free of insects or rodents.
There should be adequate ventilation with the temperature of the area being
cool, around 70°F or lower. Keep dry foods out of extreme temperatures.
Slide #13: Storing Other Supplies
When you are cooking or serving in quantity, food is not the only thing you have to
store. Cleaning supplies, paper goods, personal belongings and garbage will have to be
stored somewhere away from the food.
Slide #14: Wash Your Hands!
Any time you handle food, even when you are storing it, hands need to be kept clean.
You are a great source of contamination in the kitchen. Most people do not wash their
hands adequately to prevent contamination. Wash your hands with soap and water for
20 seconds. Count to make sure you wash long enough to allow the soap and water to
remove most of the microorganisms from your hands. Every time your hands become
potentially contaminated, they must be rewashed. The time is well spent and may
prevent someone from getting sick.
Slide #15: 20 Second Hand Washing
1. Wet hands with hot water.
2. Apply soap.
3. Scrub hands and arms for 20 seconds, cleaning under fingernails and between
fingers.
4. Rinse thoroughly under running water.
5. Dry – use paper towels or hot air dryer.
Never use hand sanitizer in place of hand washing.
Slide #16: Hands Should be Washed After these Activities:
Hands should be washed after these activities:
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Using the restroom
Before and after handling raw food
Touching the hair, face, or body
Sneezing, coughing, or using a tissue
Smoking, eating, drinking, or chewing gum or tobacco
Handling chemicals that might affect the safety of the food
Taking out the garbage
Clearing dirty dishes
Touching clothing or aprons
Touching anything else that may contaminate hands, such as money, equipment
and work surfaces which are not cleaned and sanitized.
Slide #17: Using Gloves
Gloves can protect ready-to-eat foods from contamination during handling. Gloves are
required to be worn whenever someone handles ready-to-eat foods. Remember they do
not substitute for proper hand washing. Hands must be thoroughly washed before
gloves are put on. Gloves should never be reused.
Slide #18: Changing Gloves
Gloves should be changed and hands rewashed:
 Whenever they become soiled or torn
 Before beginning a new or different task
 After handling raw meat and before handling cooked or ready-to-eat food
 After four hours of continuous use
Slide #19: Hand Wound Care
Cuts on hands, even hangnails, can contain bacteria that could contaminate food. They
should be treated and kept covered with clean bandages. Bandaged hands should
always be covered with clean gloves to protect the bandage and prevent it from falling
off into the food.
Slide #20: Summary
There are many points to remember in storing food supplies to keep the food safe. Use
the Storing Food Supplies Checklist, Worksheet 3-1, when you are storing supplies for
your next event to help you remember each point.
This is the conclusion of lesson 3. Please proceed to lesson 4.