As school cafeterias continue to work through the supply chain interruptions and staffing shortages, food safety in school remains a priority.
As a ServSafe instructor and proctor, a primary concern is always food safety protocols in the areas of storage and serving. Here are a few points to keep in mind when maintaining food safety in school.
All items must be stored at least 6 inches off the floor. An easy solution to keeping inventory six inches off the floor in limited space is to utilize dunnage racks.
Always remember FIFO (first in, first out) to keep food fresh and safe.
When placing food orders, keep your freezer, cooler and dry-storage space constraints in mind. Yes, there needs to be food to serve to the students, however, we do need to ensure the food is safe. Over-ordering items can have a snowball effect on further straining the supply chain, lack of inventory rotation and crowded spaces.
If items must be removed from their original boxes, remove the vendor sticker and keep with similar products in case of a product recall.
Most importantly, please continue to prioritize hand washing and sanitizing all high-touch surfaces.
Remember to take into account your storage space constraints. Also, being efficient when ordering items and keeping your inventory moving, will help lessen the strain on the supply chain and maintain food safety in school.