How
to Reduce Food Spoilage in Your Restaurant Kitchen
With budgets tight restaurants need to save money whenever and
wherever possible. Reducing food spoilage is something that restaurants should
be doing, even in a good economy. Here are some simple steps to keep food
spoilage in your restaurant kitchen to a minimum.
Here's
How:
1.
Avoid over-buying fresh produce. Your
sales rep may try to get you to buy several cases of lettuce or tomatoes
because they are on sale. However if you won’t use more than one case in a
week, then you run the risk of food spoilage. And that equals dollars lost.
Only buy sales and specials of produce you can definitely sell within a week.
2.
Keep everything labeled and organized. This
goes for everything in your walk-in cooler and freezer as well as in your dry
storage. Not only does it ensure food safety, it helps you use older food first
(FIFO) before they spoil.
3.
Inspect all you food orders when they arrive. Often
cases of fresh produce will arrive at your restaurant DOA. That is, they are
either spoiled or well on their way. Send back cases and speak with your sales
rep. If happens repeatedly, it is time to start shopping for a new food vendor.
4.
Keep beer and wine at constant temperatures. Even
though beer and wine are not fresh per se, they are still perishable.
Fluctuating temperatures can cause beer to have a “skunked” taste and makes
wine bitter. So make sure your dry storage area, or wherever you store your
beer and wine, is set at a constant temperature.
Food spoilage is almost
impossible to escape in a restaurant. But you can minimize it by staying
organized and only buying what you need. However, don’t get overzealous about
tossing questionable foods. When in doubt, throw it out. A little
spoilage is better than risking your customer’s health.
Article by: Maria
Working happily with
National Merchant Services
Happy Processing!!!
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