FIFO Stock Rotation for Food Businesses

FIFO (First In, First Out) means using older stock before newer stock so food is sold or used while it is still safe and within its date. You rotate by placing the newest deliveries behind existing stock, labelling everything with a received or use-by date, and always drawing from the front. Applied across dry, cold and frozen storage, FIFO reduces spoilage, waste and the risk of serving out-of-date food. Key takeaways: FIFO means using the oldest stock first: shelve new deliveries behind existing stock and always draw from the front.. Label everything with a clear date. 'Use-by' relates to safety and must never be sold or served past that date; 'best-before' relates to quality and may generally still be sold if the food remains fit for sale and honestly presented.. Apply FIFO consistently across dry, cold and frozen storage, and store high-risk ready-to-eat food above raw to prevent cross-contamination.. Standard 3.2.2A generally requires certain higher-risk food-service and retail businesses to have food-safety management tools, including managing storage temperatures and preventing contamination; keeping records supports due diligence.. Train staff, run rotation checks, and remove or clearly separate expired stock so it can never be served by mistake.. What FIFO is and why it matters FIFO — First In, First Out — is the discipline of using food in the order it was received, so the oldest stock moves first and nothing lingers past its date. In practice, when a delivery arrives you place it behind or beneath stock that is already on the shelf, and staff always take from the front. The result is a steady flow where older product is used while it is still safe and at its best quality. Why it matters comes down to three things: safety, waste and compliance. Food held too long can become unsafe (especially chilled ready-to-eat items) or simply deteriorate in quality. Poor rotation is one of the most common reasons kitchens end up with out-of-date stock at the back of a fridge or shelf. Good rotation cuts spoilage, lowers food cost, and makes it far less likely that an inspector — or a customer — finds expired food on your premises. Newest stock goes behind or below; oldest stock stays at the front for immediate use.. Reduces spoilage and food waste, which directly lowers cost of goods.. Lowers the risk of serving unsafe or out-of-date food.. Supports your food-safety obligations and demonstrates good day-to-day control.. Understanding date labels: use-by vs best-before FIFO only works if you know which date you are rotating to, and Australian labelling law (generally under the Food Standards Code) distinguishes two very different dates. 'Use-by' is a safety date. Food generally must not be sold or served after its use-by date, because it may be unsafe even if it looks and smells fine. Chilled ready-to-eat foods, smallgoods, dairy and similar items typically carry a use-by date. Treat it as a hard stop. 'Best-before' is a quality date. After this date the food may have lost some freshness, texture or flavour, but it is generally still safe. Businesses can usually still sell best-before stock provided it remains fit for sale, is not damaged or spoiled, and is honestly presented — check your state or territory requirements, as conditions can apply. Foods with a shelf life of two years or more generally do not need a date mark at all. One label to watch: 'baked on' or 'baked for' dates apply to bread with a short shelf life (generally less than seven days) and are not the same as a use-by. When you decant or repack food, carry the original date across so it is never lost. Use-by = safety. Generally never sell or serve past this date.. Best-before = quality. Generally still saleable if fit and honestly presented.. Preserve the original date when you decant, repack or portion food.. Rotate to the earliest use-by or best-before date, not the delivery date alone.. FIFO in dry storage Dry stores hold shelf-stable goods — tinned foods, flour, rice, pasta, sugar, oils, packaged snacks and other ambient items. Because shelf lives are long, dry stores are where forgotten stock quietly accumulates, so disciplined rotation matters. Set up shelving so you can load new stock from the back and pick from the front, or top-down where practical. Keep everything off the floor and away from walls to allow cleaning and pest inspection. Store food away from chemicals and strong-smelling products, and keep the area cool, dry and well ventilated to protect quality and deter pests. Mark each delivery with the received date on the outer packaging so staff can see age at a glance, and check best-before dates as you shelve. Damaged, dented, rusted, bulging or leaking packaging should be set aside and not used. Load new stock behind existing stock; pick from the front.. Keep goods off the floor and clear of walls for cleaning and pest control.. Store food away from chemicals and strong odours.. Reject or quarantine dented, swollen, rusted or damaged packaging.. FIFO in cold storage Cold storage is where rotation and temperature control meet. Potentially hazardous foods generally need to be kept at 5 degrees C or below (or held under an approved alternative you can support with evidence). Check and record fridge and coolroom temperatures regularly so you catch problems early. Rotate by placing newer items behind or below older ones, and keep clear labelling on everything, including anything you have made, opened or decanted in-house. A common approach is to label prepared or opened ready-to-eat foods with a made-on date and a use-by window (many businesses cap in-house ready-to-eat items at a set maximum number of days — confirm what your food safety program or regulator expects). Storage order also protects against cross-contamination: store ready-to-eat and cooked foods above raw meats, poultry and seafood, and keep raw items in sealed containers on lower shelves so drips cannot fall onto food that will not be cooked agai