5.2 Proper Food Storage

Stock Rotation with FIFO

FIFO—First In, First Out—is the core rule of food rotation. The principle is simple: use the oldest product first so nothing sits long enough to spoil or pass its use-by date. When you put a new delivery away, move existing stock to the front and place the newer product behind it, so staff naturally reach for the older items.

To apply FIFO correctly:

1. Identify the use-by or expiration date on each item.
2. Shelve so the product with the soonest date is in front.
3. Use front (older) stock first during prep and service.
4. Discard any product that has passed its date.

FIFO reduces waste, controls cost, and—most importantly—keeps food from being held past the point where it is safe.

FIFO works for refrigerated, frozen, and dry storage alike, and it is most effective when paired with date marking: the date label tells you which item is truly oldest, even when two cases look identical. Train every staff member to rotate stock the same way, because a single person who shelves new product in front quietly defeats the system for everyone.

Date Marking and the 7-Day Rule

Ready-to-eat (RTE) TCS food prepared on-site or opened from a commercial container and held for more than 24 hours must be date-marked. The FDA Food Code 7-day rule sets the maximum: when held at 41°F (5°C) or below, the food may be kept for 7 days total, counting the day of preparation or opening as day 1. On day 7, any remaining food must be discarded.

How to Count the 7 Days

If food is held above 41°F, the safe holding period shrinks. When combining two date-marked foods, the earliest discard date applies to the mixture. Label each item with the prep/open date or the discard date so any staff member can tell at a glance whether it is still safe.

Storage Order: Top to Bottom by Cook Temperature

Inside a cooler, the order foods are stacked matters because raw juices can drip down. Store food top to bottom in order of the minimum internal cooking temperature, with foods that need the lowest cook temperature (or none) on top and the highest on the bottom. This keeps raw poultry from dripping onto food that will be eaten without further cooking.

From top shelf to bottom shelf:

1. Ready-to-eat food (cooked food, washed produce, deli items)—no further cooking
2. Seafood — 145°F
3. Whole cuts of beef and pork — 145°F
4. Ground meat and ground fish — 155°F
5. Whole and ground poultry — 165°F

Raw poultry sits on the bottom because it requires the highest cooking temperature (165°F) and is the most likely to carry Salmonella—keeping it lowest prevents its juices from contaminating anything below.

Dry Storage and General Rules

Dry storage holds shelf-stable items: canned goods, flour, rice, sugar, and packaged dry foods. Keep dry-storage rooms at 50°F to 70°F with 50% to 60% relative humidity. Heat and moisture speed spoilage, invite pests, and rust cans, so store dry goods away from heat sources such as ovens, hot-water pipes, and direct sunlight.

Across all storage areas, follow these rules:

• Store all food at least 6 inches (15 cm) off the floor to allow cleaning and airflow.
• Keep food away from walls so air can circulate and pests are easier to spot.
• Store food away from chemicals; never shelve cleaners or pesticides above or beside food.
• Keep coolers at 41°F (5°C) or below and freezers cold enough to keep food frozen solid (0°F / −18°C).
• Label all stored food with its name and date; transfer bulk items into clean, covered, labeled containers.
• Never store food under exposed sewer lines, stairwells, or other contamination sources.

Good storage discipline preserves both the safety and the quality of every item you accepted at receiving.

Thawing and Cooler Management

Storage and thawing go hand in hand, because frozen TCS food must be thawed safely—never on the counter at room temperature, where the surface warms into the danger zone while the center stays frozen. There are four approved methods:

1. In the refrigerator at 41°F or below (the safest, slowest method—plan ahead).
2. Under running potable water at 70°F or below, with the water flowing fast enough to wash loose particles into the drain.
3. In a microwave, but only if the food is cooked immediately afterward.
4. As part of the cooking process, going straight from frozen to cooked.

Keeping Coolers Working

A cooler set to 41°F protects food only if cold air can move. Do not overload shelves or line them with foil, which blocks airflow and creates warm pockets. Leave space around items, keep the cooler door closed, and monitor the unit with a hanging or built-in thermometer, checking and logging it regularly. Cover and wrap stored food to prevent it from drying out, absorbing odors, or being contaminated by drips from above. Together, disciplined thawing, correct storage order, FIFO rotation, and date marking keep accepted food safe all the way to the plate.