HYGIENIC ASPECTS OF FOOD PREMISES - PRODUCT FLOW (QIAN YI)

Product flow. It basically means the flow of product, with the aim to minimise unnecessary traffic and separate the preparation of raw and cooked food. The product must not, at any point, cross paths with dirty items. As such, there must also be proper division between product and non-product areas. 

Product areas: preparation area, cooking area, etc.
Non-product areas: store rooms, offices, toilets, etc.


Good design examples of product flow:

{Purchasing}

Product flow in food premises starts when raw products are obtained from approved/licensed and reputable suppliers. 

An approved food supplier is one that has been inspected and meets all applicable local, state, and federal laws. It is vital that the suppliers have good safety practices. 

Purchasing requires knowledge of products and market conditions and there are also certain techniques to it. 

Just to name a few:

• Comparative shopping
• comparing prices before actually buying something in order to get the best deals and prices
• Selection of the most efficient suppliers



Adapted from https://www.region10.org/mrpc/

• Choosing the right supplier depends on factors such as: 
• value for money- worth the money spent on purchased goods
• quality- the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind
• reliability- to be consistently good in quality or performance; trustworthy
• service

When selecting suppliers, the effective ones would be those offering products or services that measure up to the needs of your business. 

During purchasing, it is important to set up the products’ safety and quality specifications with the suppliers. 

This takes into account temperature at which perishable foods are held during delivery.

It would be a good idea to review the suppliers’ most recent inspection reports. 

These would be evidence enough to show whether they follow good manufacturing practices. 

As such, the purchasing manager will then be able to decide whether or not to renew contracts with the suppliers.

{Receiving}

This is the juncture where the food delivered is taken into operation— unloading, inspecting, accepting or rejecting, labelling and storing items in a timely manner. 

There must also be sufficient trained staff at hand to accept, reject and sign for deliveries.

Some important points to take note of would be to: 

Adapted from http://guidedlearning.com/foodsafety/two-210.html

1. Verify and inspect food upon arrival for proper temperature, content, and damage 

• It is possible for foods to be delivered to a food-service operation already contaminated.

• Therefore, always inspect ALL goods to see that they arrive in sanitary conditions.

• Check the ambient temperature inside the delivery truck to see that it is correct.

• Check temperature of product and expiry date

• Foods must be verified to have the required government inspection and certification stamps or tags.

2. Reject all products that do not meet requirements

• Randomly sample items and goods which do not meet the standard should be rejected.

3. Store foods immediately

• Move the goods into proper storage conditions as soon as possible.

4. Avoid cross-contamination 

5. Keep receiving area clean

Certain criteria must also be met before the rejection of goods received. 

First, quality of product. 
Food with an abnormal colour and sour odour should be rejected. Likewise for meat, fish or poultry which is slimy, sticky, dry and soft such that it leaves an imprint upon touching it.

Second, packaging. 
Items with any form of defect such as:

• tears/leaks/holes/dents/broken seals/bulges  
• rust/dirty items/missing labels 
• past the expiry date
• signs of pests

should be rejected. 

{Storing}

Moving on, this is the point in product flow where the items received from suppliers are stored, be it in the freezer, chiller, dry goods storage area or the pantry.

Refrigerator and freezer units should be equipped with thermometers to ensure that the temperature remains within a safe range.

Certain foods should be stored at specific temperatures to maintain their quality:

• Meat and Poultry: 0 to 2 degree Celsius (°C)
• Fish and Shellfish: -1 to 1 degree Celsius (°C)
• Eggs: 3 to 4 degree Celsius (°C)
• Dairy products: 2 to 4 degree Celsius (°C)
• Produce: 4 to 7 degree Celsius (°C)

Before storing food in the refrigerator food should be:

1. properly cooled 
2. stored in clean containers
3. wrapped 
4. labelled clearly with the contents and the date

Adapted from http://www.johnsonsce.co.uk/HACCP.aspx?id=9

Store raw products below and away from cooked items to prevent cross contamination from drippings. 

The “first in, first out” (FIFO) principle should be used when arranging food, meaning that the older items are in the front.

Dry storage is used for foods such as canned goods, spices, condiments, cereals, and staples such as flour and sugar, as well as for some fruits and vegetables that do not require refrigeration and do not perish easily.

All storage areas maintained to keep them clean, with proper ventilation and air circulation. 

Storage areas meant for food should be separated from storage areas meant for cleaning supplies.

{Preparation}

Following storage of goods received, there will be preparation of food items, which includes thawing, cutting, selection, mixing and even cooking of certain ingredients.

Adapted from http://health.wikinut.com/img/.gmv1tpl0ztz__gr/Meal-Planning-and-Preparation

When preparing food items, it is important to note that hands must be frequently washed, and properly too, at the appropriate times. This is done to avoid cross contamination of food.

Another method to prevent cross contamination is by using different colour cutting boards for preparing food. A specific colour of chopping board is used for a particular food item. For instance, a green chopping board should be used for chopping vegetables and vegetables alone. Other colours of chopping board would be red, white, brown and blue. Red coloured chopping boards are to be used for cutting meat, white for 

In addition, frozen foods should be thawed under refrigeration at 8^oC or below, or under cool running water in waterproof package. They must be adequately thawed before cooking. The maximum time for holding thawed foods and cold perishable foods in food preparation area at above 4^oC is four hours.

After preparation, there may be temporary storage of the prepared food items in hot or cold conditions for use at a later time.

{Cooking}

Adapted from http://taste.fourseasons.com/2013/03/

cooking-class-confidential-learn-from-the-best-in-chiang-mai/

Cooking follows preparation of food items. Core food temperature must be 75^oC or above so food must be cooked to the required temperature.

Food must also be fully or thoroughly cooked. This is to prevent the survival of food poisoning bacteria and bacteria spores, which will cause harm to the consumer.

{Final Preparation}

After cooking, there will be the final preparation of the food. At this stage, the cooked food will most probably be packed in containers for customers to take away or put on plates. 

Adapted from http://www.istorya.net/forums/food-and-beverages-55/

668940-affordable-packed-meals-49-pesos-only-redfry-foodshoppe.html

Thus, the containers and plates must be clean to prevent any possibility of cross contamination. In this final preparation, hands must also be clean to prevent any contamination of food.

{Serving}

Finally, the cooked and packed food will be served or given to customers to take away. The satisfaction of the customer will depend on the quality of the cooked product and its appearance.

Adapted from: http://www.cliparthut.com/
serving-food-clip-art-clipart-P2v1x6.html

This is the product flow in food premises but it may differ slightly from place to place.