Food Storage & Cross-Contamination

How food is stored is just as important as how it is cooked. Improper storage is one of the most common reasons restaurants fail health inspections — and one of the most preventable causes of foodborne illness.

The Walk-In: Storage Order

The order items are stored in the walk-in cooler is not a preference — it is a food safety requirement. From top to bottom:

Shelf Level	What Goes Here	Why
Highest	Ready-to-eat foods (produce, cooked items, dairy)	Lowest contamination risk
Middle	Raw seafood	Must stay below ready-to-eat
Below seafood	Raw whole muscle beef and pork	Below seafood, above ground meat and poultry
Lowest	Raw ground meat and raw poultry	Highest contamination risk — drips down, not up

Labeling Requirements

Every item stored must have a label showing:

• Item name — what it is
• Date prepared or opened
• Use-by date — prep date plus the approved shelf life for that item

No label means unknown origin and unknown age. Unknown food gets discarded, no exceptions.

FIFO — First In, First Out

When restocking any item:

1. Pull existing stock forward
2. Place new stock behind the existing stock
3. The oldest product should always be at the front, used first

This rule applies in the walk-in, on the make line, in dry storage, and anywhere product is stored.

Cross-Contamination: What It Is and How to Prevent It

Cross-contamination happens when bacteria from one food transfer to another food — usually from raw to cooked or ready-to-eat. It is invisible until someone gets sick.

Common sources:

• Using the same cutting board for raw chicken and then vegetables without sanitizing
• Storing raw meat above ready-to-eat food
• Touching raw protein and then touching a clean surface without washing hands
• Using the same tongs for raw and cooked items

Prevention:

• Dedicated equipment for raw proteins (cutting boards, utensils, pans) — never use them for ready-to-eat food without washing, rinsing, and sanitizing first
• Wash hands after touching raw protein — every time, not sometimes
• Cover all stored items; nothing sits open in the walk-in

Allergen Awareness

The following allergens are present in our kitchen and must be handled with care:

• Wheat/Gluten — dough, breadcrumbs, many sauces
• Dairy — cheese, butter, cream sauces
• Soy — present in some processed ingredients
• Eggs — some doughs and sauces

If a customer indicates an allergy, notify your manager immediately. Do not attempt to handle allergen accommodations on your own.

Temperature Monitoring

• Walk-in cooler: must read 41°F or below at all times
• Walk-in freezer: must read 0°F or below
• Log temperatures at opening and closing — if a reading is off, tell your manager before starting prep

What to Do When Something Looks Wrong

• Unfamiliar odor from the walk-in — tell your manager
• Items stored incorrectly — fix it and tell your manager
• Temperature log reading outside range — tell your manager before use
• Unlabeled food of unknown age — do not use it; flag it for your manager

You are not in trouble for flagging a problem. You are in trouble if a problem goes unreported.