Supplier control and delivery checks

You cannot check every product yourself. You rely on your suppliers, so you need to choose them with care and check what they deliver.

The law requires traceability. You must be able to identify who supplied your food. If you supply other businesses, you must also be able to identify them. This is often called one step back and one step forward. You do not have to trace sales to individual members of the public. Keep a record of what you bought, who from, the quantity and the date. Keeping invoices and receipts is usually the easiest way.

Keep a list of approved suppliers. For each one, ask these questions. Are they registered or approved? What is their hygiene rating? Can they give you product specifications and allergen information? Do they deliver at the right temperature? Will they tell you about recipe changes and recalls? Name a backup supplier too, so that a busy chef does not run to the nearest shop in an emergency. If staff do buy from a supermarket or cash and carry, keep the receipt and the label.

Check each delivery as it arrives. Make it someone's job, and give them time to do it. Use a clean probe to check chilled and frozen food, placing it between packs. Your system sets the limit. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, chilled food must be at 8°C or below, and many businesses set a limit of 5°C. CookSafe in Scotland gives 5°C or below as its example. Frozen food should be at −18°C or colder.

Also check the use-by dates, the condition of the packaging, and any sign of pests or contamination. Make sure that raw food is kept apart from ready-to-eat food in the vehicle, and that the vehicle is clean. Check that you have received the right product. A substitute may contain different allergens. Then put chilled and frozen food away at once.

Reject food that is too warm, past its use-by date, damaged in a way that could contaminate it, or showing signs of pests. Do this while the driver is still there. Record the reason, tell the supplier, and review them if it happens again. You can also choose to reject food past its best before date.

Here is an example. A delivery of cooked ham arrives on a busy Friday. It reads 11°C, and the driver says it has only just warmed up. The chef wants it for service. The right decision is to reject it. If the ham has been accepted, the business takes on the risk. The record of the rejection also supports a discussion with the supplier about their transport.