Digital Food Safety System

it should have aLabels are one of the many unsung foundations upon which a successful restaurant is built. Being so fundamental to the business, it should be done right from the start. So here’s our advice for date labelling.

  1. All foods except unprepared fruit & veg need to be date labelled. The manufacturers use by date takes precedence.
  2. Once a food is changed in any way it comes under your in-house labelling system. This includes opening the pack, preparing or cooking the item.
  3. Your kitchen needs a written Date Labelling Policy – get in touch if you need advice on writing one.
  4. A standard date labelling policy is a 3 day policy
  5. Check your food dates each morning so any foods going out of date that day can be either sold, cooked or frozen to avoid wastage.

 

Foods with a USE BY day within 7 days – Use Coloured Day Dots.
Foods with a USE BY day longer than 7 days – use a HACCP label.
An Allergen label is useful to use to label foods cooked and stored on site.

 
The Dot Method

These coloured dots are more commonly used for fresh food that is prepared and cooked on site, as it has a 3 day shelf life. When using day dots, count the day that the food is prepared on.
For example, if chicken salad is prepped on Tuesday it has a 3 day shelf life so needs a Thursday day dot.

 
 
 
 
 
HACCP Labels

Home-cooked foods frozen on site, and other foods with longer than a 7 day shelf life need to be labelled using a HACCP label giving a maximum 3 month date life. Information on the label should include:– Product description, date of freezing and use by date.

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First rule is to go by the manufacturer’s instructions.  So, if the manufacturer’s instructions are to use within 3 days of opening – you must use the product within the 3 days (even if you add other ingredients to it) unless you cook it.

Packaged foods – Once opened, a pack of fresh food (ham, custard, smoked fish, quiche etc) can be given 3 days shelf life, it this is within the original manufacturer’s use by date.

Fresh Cooked Foods – Once food is cooked (curry, lasagne, pie etc), if it is cooled and refrigerated ready for reheating at service, it can be given 3 days shelf life

Pickled/Salted/Sugar – If the food is high in vinegar, salt or sugar (pickled fresh veg, fruit coulis) and is kept in a normal storage container in the fridge (rather than packed in sterilized jars), it can be given 7 days.

Bottled sauces – go by the manufacturer’s instructions

Vacuum packed on site – a maximum of 10 days (keep within manufacturers use by date if vacuum packing ready to eat foods)

Frozen on site – maximum of 3 months but food will maintain a better quality if you use within 1 month shelf life

Dehydrated/dried on site – maximum of 1 month in a normal storage container.  Maximum of 3 months if stored in heat sealed containers/airtight containers (this can be extended by sending off to a lab for date life testing).

Digital Food Safety System

In today’s fast-paced environment, the old ways of managing food safety simply aren’t enough. With the increasing complexity of regulations and the increasing threat of foodborne illnesses, food businesses need a solution that is as dynamic and flexible as they are. A Digital Food Safety System offers that and more.

Digital Food Safety App Daily ChecksAt Food Safety Guru, we offer a Digital Food Safety System that’s tailored to meet the needs of UK-based food and hospitality businesses. Our system is easy to use, keeps all your records in one place, and ensures you stay compliant with the latest regulations.

Take the first step towards a safer, more efficient kitchen by exploring our Digital Food Safety System today.

Book a demo today