This document provides guidelines for receiving food deliveries and inspecting food items. It outlines characteristics of approved suppliers, procedures for receiving and inspecting deliveries, requirements for key drop deliveries, handling food recalls, checking food temperatures, required packaging and documentation, quality requirements, and criteria for accepting or rejecting specific food items like meat, seafood, produce and dairy. The goal is to purchase food from approved sources and inspect all deliveries to accept only food that is safe, properly packaged and transported.

2. Objectives
Identify the following:
 Characteristics of an approved supplier
 Guidelines for receiving and inspecting deliveries
 Requirements for key drop deliveries
 Procedure for handling food recalls
 Procedures for checking the temperatures of various food items
 Temperature requirements when receiving food
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3. Objectives
Identify the following:
 Packaging requirements when receiving food
 Documentation required when receiving food
 Government inspection stamps required when receiving food
 Quality requirements when receiving food
 Receiving criteria for specific food items
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4. Purchasing Considerations
Purchase food from approved, reputable
suppliers:
 They have been inspected
 They meet all applicable local, state, and
federal laws
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5. Purchasing Considerations
A supplier’s inspection report should
review these areas:
 Receiving and storage
 Processing
 Shipping
 Cleaning and sanitizing
 Personal hygiene
 Staff training
 Recall program
 HACCP program or other food safety system
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6. Receiving Considerations
Receiving guidelines:
 Have food delivered when staff can inspect it.
 Make specific staff responsible for receiving.
o Train them to follow food safety procedures.
o Allow them to accept, reject, and sign for
deliveries.
o Provide staff with tools.
 Plan ahead for shipments.
 Inspect deliveries immediately.
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7. Receiving Considerations
Inspection process:
 Inspect the delivery truck.
 Inspect the food items.
o Count quantities and spot-check weights.
o Check for damage, repackaging, and
mishandling.
o Take sample temperatures of all TCS food.
 Inspect and store each delivery before
accepting another one.
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8. Receiving Considerations
Key drop deliveries:
 Supplier is given after-hour access to the operation
to make deliveries.
 Staff must inspect the deliveries upon arrival at the operation.
 Deliveries must meet the following criteria.
o From an approved source
o Placed in the correct storage location to
maintain the required temperature
o Protected from contamination in storage
o NOT contaminated
o Presented honestly
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9. Receiving Considerations
Rejecting items:
 Separate rejected items from accepted items.
 Tell the delivery person what is wrong with the item.
 Get a signed adjustment or credit slip before giving
the rejected item to the delivery person.
 Log the incident on the invoice or receiving document.
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10. Receiving and Inspecting
Recalls:
 Identify the recalled food items.
 Remove the item from inventory.
 Store the item separately.
 Label the item to prevent it from being placed
back in inventory.
 Inform staff not to use the product.
 Refer to the vendor’s notification or recall
notice for what to do with the item.
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11. 6-11
Checking Temperatures
Checking the temperature of meat, poultry,
and fish:
 Insert the thermometer stem or probe into the
thickest part of the food (usually the center).

12. 6-12
Checking Temperatures
Checking the temperature of ROP Food
(MAP, vacuum-packed, and sous vide
food):
 Insert the thermometer stem or probe between
two packages.
 As an alternative, fold packaging around the
thermometer stem or probe.

13. 6-13
Checking Temperatures
Checking the temperature of other
packaged food:
 Open the package and insert the thermometer
stem or probe into the food.

14. Temperature Requirements
Temperature criteria for deliveries:
 Cold TCS food: Receive at 41˚F (5˚C) or lower,
unless otherwise specified.
 Live shellfish (oysters, mussels, clams, and
scallops ): Receive at an air temperature of 45˚F
(7˚C) and an internal temperature no greater than
50˚F (10˚C).
o Once received, the shellfish must be cooled to
41˚F (5˚C) or lower in four hours.
 Shucked shellfish: Receive at 45˚F (7˚C)
or lower.
o Cool the shellfish to 41˚F (5˚F) or lower in
four hours.
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15. Temperature Requirements
Temperature criteria for deliveries:
 Milk: Receive at 45˚F (7˚C) or lower.
o Cool the milk to 41˚F (5˚C) or lower in four hours.
 Shell eggs: Receive at an air temperature of
45˚F (7˚C) or lower.
 Hot TCS food: Receive at 135˚F (57˚C) or
higher.
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16. Temperature Requirements
Temperature criteria for deliveries:
 Frozen food: Receive frozen solid.
 Reject frozen food if there is evidence of
thawing and refreezing.
o Fluids or water stains in case bottoms or
on packaging
o Ice crystals or frozen liquids on the food
or packaging
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17. Packaging
Reject packaged items with:
 Tears, holes, or punctures in packaging
 Cans—Severe dents in the seam or body,
missing labels, swollen or bulging ends, holes,
leaks, rust
 ROP food—Bloating or leaking
 Broken cartons or seals
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18. Packaging
Reject packaged items with:
 Dirty and discolored packaging
 Leaks, dampness, or water stains
 Signs of pests or pest damage
 Signs of tampering
 Missing or incorrect labels
 Expired use-by/expiration dates
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19. Documents and Stamps
Required documents:
 Shellfish must be received with shellstock
identification tags.
o Tags indicate when and where the shellfish
were harvested.
 Store shellfish in their original container.
o Do NOT remove the shellstock tag until the last
shellfish is used.
o Write the date the last shellfish was used on the
shellstock tag.
o Keep the shellstock tag on file for 90 days after
the last shellfish was used.
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20. Documents and Stamps
Required documents:
 Fish that will be eaten raw or partially cooked
o Documentation must show the fish was correctly frozen before being received
o Keep documents for 90 days from the sale of the fish
 Farm raised fish
o Must have documentation stating the fish was raised to FDA standards
o Keep documents for 90 days from the sale of the fish
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21. Documents and Stamps
Products requiring inspection stamps:
 Meat and poultry
o Carcass or packaging must have a USDA or
state department of agriculture stamp.
o Stamp indicates product and processing
plant have met certain standards.
 Egg products
o Liquid, frozen, and dehydrated eggs must
also have a USDA inspection mark.
Grading stamps:
 Voluntary
 Paid for by processors and packers
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22. Food Quality
Assessing food quality:
 Appearance: Reject food that is moldy or has
an abnormal color.
 Texture: Reject meat, fish, or poultry if
o It is slimy, sticky, or dry
o It has soft flesh that leaves an imprint when
touched
 Odor: Reject food with an abnormal or
unpleasant odor.
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23. Fresh fish:
Inspecting Specific Types of Food
Reject criteria:
 Dull gray gills; dull
dry skin
 Soft flesh that
leaves an imprint
when touched
 Strong fishy or
ammonia smell
 Cloudy, red-
rimmed, sunken
eyes
 Tumors,
abscesses, or
cysts on the skin
Accept criteria:
 Bright red gills;
bright shiny skin
 Firm flesh that
springs back when
touched
 Mild ocean or
seaweed smell
 Bright, clear, full
eyes
 Product
surrounded by
crushed, self-
draining ice
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24. Shellfish:
Inspecting Specific Types of Food
Reject criteria:
 Slimy, sticky, or
dry
 Strong fishy
smell
 Shells are
excessively
muddy or broken
 Dead on arrival
(open shells that
do not close
when tapped)
Accept criteria:
 Mild ocean or
seaweed smell
 Shells are closed
and unbroken,
indicating that
the shellfish are
alive
 If fresh, they
must be received
alive
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25. Crustaceans:
Inspecting Specific Types of Food
Reject criteria:
 Strong fishy
smell
 Dead on arrival
Accept criteria:
 Mild ocean or
seaweed smell
 Shipped alive,
packed in
seaweed, and
kept moist
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26. Meat:
Inspecting Specific Types of Food
Reject criteria—
color:
 Beef: brown or
green
 Lamb: brown,
whitish surface
covering the lean
meat
 Pork:
excessively dark
color; soft or
rancid fat
Accept criteria—
color:
 Beef: bright
cherry red; aged
beef may be
darker; vacuum-
packed beef will
appear purplish
 Lamb: light red
 Pork: light pink
meat; firm, white
fat
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27. Meat:
Inspecting Specific Types of Food
Reject—other
criteria:
 Slimy, sticky, or
dry
 Sour odor
 Broken cartons;
dirty wrappers;
torn packaging;
broken seals
Accept—other
criteria:
 Firm flesh that
springs back
when touched
 No odor
 Packaging is
intact and clean
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28. Poultry:
Inspecting Specific Types of Food
Reject criteria:
 Purple or green
discoloration
around the neck;
dark wing tips
(red are
acceptable)
 Stickiness under
the wings and
around joints
 Abnormal,
unpleasant odor
Accept criteria:
 No discoloration
 Firm flesh that
springs back
when touched
 No odor
 Should be
surrounded by
crushed, self-
draining ice
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29. Eggs:
Inspecting Specific Types of Food
Reject criteria:
 Sulfur smell or
off odor
 Dirty or cracked
shells
Accept criteria:
 No odor
 Clean and
unbroken shells
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30. Dairy products:
Inspecting Specific Types of Food
Reject criteria:
 Milk: Sour, bitter, or
moldy taste; off
odor; expired sell-by
date
 Butter: Sour, bitter,
or moldy taste;
uneven color; soft
texture; contains
foreign matter
 Cheese: Abnormal
flavor or texture;
uneven color;
unnatural mold;
unclean or broken
rind
Accept criteria:
 Milk: Sweetish
flavor
 Butter: Sweet
flavor; uniform
color; firm texture
 Cheese: Typical
flavor and
texture; uniform
color; clean and
unbroken rind
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31. Fresh produce:
Inspecting Specific Types of Food
Reject criteria:
 Evidence of
mishandling or
insects (including
insect eggs and
egg cases)
 Mold, cuts,
wilting,
unpleasant
odors,
discoloration,
etc. (will depend
on the produce
involved)
Accept criteria:
 Temperature
varies according
to the product
 Condition varies
according to the
product
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