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Excellent Fruit & Produce, Inc. (d.b.a EFAP)
        PO Box 420216   Miami   FL   33242
        All rights reserved.  Copyright 2009-2012
Page Design by Stand Out Local Marketing
954-213-2230

Rough or excessive handling can damage even the hardiest fruits and vegetables. Even a minor bruise can trigger spoiling, and very quickly its fresh flavor and appeal will be lost. Practice keeping handling of your produce to a minimum.
Receiving and inspecting fresh produce is the first step to ensuring a quality end product for your customers and healthy profit for your business. Your foodservice establishment invests a significant amount of money in procuring quality produce to serve its customers, and your care and thoroughness in receiving and inspecting each shipment helps protect this investment. The right procedures and practices will help you reach these goals. We recommend the following receiving and handling checklist:

  • Weigh carton and check against corporate product specs (when appropriate).
  • Check for transit/product damage (spills, crushed cartons, damaged bags, etc.)
  • Lift product case lids and check product for obvious defects such as decay, sizing, packs, etc.
  • Check product weights (bags and cartons).
  • Check product temperature when ever possible using an electronic probe.
  • Probe bulk/commodity products at the thickest point (typically the butt of the product).
  • Probe fresh-cut products by placing the probe between two bags of product, pressing them together.
  • Check for compliance with grades, counts & sizes on cartons/bags.
  • Check for proper shipper/producer label (when appropriate).
  • Check grades on cartons/bags against bill/invoice and against corporate product specs.
  • Notify your manager, or appropriate individual, as soon as you notice a potential problem.
RECEIVING AND INSPECTION
STORAGE
Once you have determined that you have received the proper products, in the proper condition, move them immediately to the appropriate storage location.   Remember, fresh fruits and vegetables are living, breathing organisms and should not be left out for long periods of time. When storing products in the cooler, follow these basic rules:
  • Store the higher respiring products (more delicate products) which require refrigeration in the rear of the cold box, or that area of the cold box which maintains the coldest temperature, without freezing the products.  Examples of such products would be:  fresh-cut items, broccoli, mushrooms, berries, etc.  Be certain to store those items requiring slightly warmer temperatures near the door of the cooler. 
  • Keep all products off the floor of the cold box/cooler for sanitation purposes, as well as for and good air flow around the products.
  • Periodically map the temperature range of your cold box/cooler.  Remember, your store products in your cold box/cooler on a 24 hour basis, not just during the peak periods of product usage.  So, be careful to not  base all of your assumptions of cold box/cooler temperatures on those temperatures found during peak operating hours.  Keep in mind the products are also stored in the same cold box/cooler, all through the night and early morning hours when there is less in and out traffic in the cold box/cooler.
  • Always leave products in their original shipping containers as long as possible to maintain quality and avoid product bruising/damage.
  • Avoid stacking heavy products on lighter products.
  • Avoid storing ethylene producing products such as apples and ripe melons near ethylene sensitive products such as leafy green lettuces in order to prevent premature decay and increased product shrink.
Handling Guide
Temperature Guide >50F°
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