Maintain the Quality of

Perishable Items
Session 4
Impact of Temperature Requirements

• Temperatures vary for different items. In general, most items are

stored between 1°C and 4°C. However, seafood is usually stored with
ice, so a temperature range of 0°C and 2°C applies and some
vegetables and fruit can be stored between 1°C and 7°C. 
Danger Zone

• Between 5°C and 60°C is referred to as the danger zone.

• High risk foods such as meat, poultry, game, seafood, cooked rice, milk
and custards should be stored under the following conditions:
• Refrigerated between 1°C and 4°C
• On clean trays, covered and labelled showing the product contents, date and name
of the person who stored or produced the product. Depending on the items being
stored, trays should be regularly changed to avoid the items sitting in pooled blood
or their own juices, as this accelerates spoilage and leads to "off" odours
• Store each type of protein separately and keep them away from cooked food
items, to avoid cross-contamination
• Store only for short timeframes
Refrigerators and Coolrooms
Freezers

• Temp between -18°C and -24°C. 

• avoid an ice age 
• freezer burn
SEAFOOD STORAGE

• Store fresh seafood separately and between 0°C and 2°C, iced,
on drip trays and covered with plastic
• Minimise handling to prevent cross-contamination
• Change the storage containers every day and replace the ice
after each service period
• Gut all fish before storing and cook all fresh live crustaceans as
soon as possible after purchasing. Ensure the best quality and
reduce the possibility of spoilage by not purchasing too much
• Seafood should only be frozen when it is still completely fresh,
cleaned, portioned, wrapped and tagged with the relevant
information, e.g. snapper fillet, 14/02/2010, John Silverladle
• Frozen seafood should be well wrapped and frozen between
-18°C and -24°C
• If seafood is purchased frozen, use it within 3 months
Poultry Storage
Fresh Poultry:
• Store in the refrigerator at just above freezing point (between 1°C and 4°C) on drip trays
• If polythene wrapped, as in whole chickens, store as above. If not wrapped, cover the chicken to
prevent dehydration and contamination from other food items
• Store on drip trays
• Poultry is best if used up within 3 days. Store on the bottom shelf of the fridge and change drip trays
regularly
Frozen Poultry:
• Store in the freezer between -18°C and -24°C
• Individually wrap items for ease of separation when defrosting
• Spread items out on a tray to speed up the freezing process. Once the items are frozen they may
then be bulk packed. This also ensures that ice crystals which form during the freezing process and
damage flesh are kept to a minimum
• Ensure proper stock rotation (practice FIFO) in order to avoid spoilage
Meat Storage
STORAGE TEMPERATURES FOR MEAT
• Refrigerated between 1°C and 4°C
• Carcasses should be hung in the coolroom, without touching each other, well ventilated and covered if other foods
are also stored there. Place drip trays underneath to catch any blood
• Primal and restaurant cuts should be on clean trays, covered and labelled. Change the trays regularly to avoid the
meat sitting in pooled blood, as blood oxidises and leads to "off" odours
• Store away from other raw meats and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination
• Store only for a short time unless you want to age the meat
• Vacuum-sealed meat should be stored on trays, with the fat side up and has a storage life of 8-12 weeks
• Practice FIFO. This is especially important with Portion Controlled Cuts (PCC)
POINTS OF CARE WITH STORAGE AND PREPARATION
• Food should be stored straight after the delivery is received
• Care should be applied when defrosting - ensure that this is done in the refrigerator
• Never refreeze food which has been thawed, as this is illegal and can be harmful to health
• Reheating and cooling of food should be done quickly, to minimise the time period that the food spends in the
danger zone (between 5°C and 60°C). If food is in this zone for more than 2 hours it must be discarded
Fruit and Vegetables Storage

• Many fruit and vegetables are high in water content, which means leaves can
freeze at low temperatures. This will cause the leaves to lose their structure
and texture
• Leaves and herbs should be stored in closed containers, to avoid wilting that
results from air flow in wet storage areas
• The leaves of kohlrabi, beetroot and similar vegetables are sometimes
removed to avoid excessive moisture losses if longer storage is required
• Broccoli is often delivered in styrofoam boxes on ice, to maintain freshness
• Shelving for fruit and vegetable storage must allow air circulation. Fruit and
vegetables should be stored between 6°C and 8°C. Some vegetables, such as
potatoes and pumpkin, can be kept in the dry store for short time periods
Dairy Products Storage

• Tips for storing dairy products:Dairy products should be stored

separately from other stock because they will absorb the odour of
other foods, including strong-smelling cheeses and other dairy items.
Storage shelving must allow air circulation
• Dairy products should be stored between 2°C and 4°C. Cheese should
be brought to room temperature prior to serving, as it develops richer
flavours