Goods receipt (receiving deliveries), Food Safety Glossary

The checks made when a food delivery arrives to confirm it is safe, correct and at the right temperature. Goods receipt is the process of checking food when a delivery arrives, before it is accepted and put into storage. It is a key control point, because problems caught at the door, such as food delivered too warm, damaged packaging or food past its use-by date, can be rejected before they enter the kitchen. Receiving is where the cold chain is either maintained or broken. Under the food safety standards, potentially hazardous food must be received at a temperature that keeps it safe, generally cold food at 5 degrees Celsius or below and hot food at 60 degrees Celsius or above, unless a time-based control such as the two-hour four-hour guidance applies. Businesses are expected to check and, where relevant, record receiving temperatures and conditions as part of their food safety practices. When a delivery arrives at an Australian venue, staff check that it came from an approved supplier, inspect packaging for damage or pests, check use-by and best-before dates, and measure the temperature of chilled and frozen goods with a probe thermometer. Anything that fails a check can be refused and sent back with the driver. Accepted stock should be moved into correct storage quickly to limit time in the temperature danger zone, then rotated using First In, First Out. Many businesses keep a receiving log recording supplier, date, product and temperature, which supports both day-to-day monitoring and traceability if a recall or complaint occurs. A restaurant receives a chilled seafood delivery and probes the temperature of the boxes, reading 4 degrees Celsius, within the safe range. The packaging is intact and the use-by dates are fine, so the delivery is accepted, logged and moved straight into the cool room. A second box reading 9 degrees Celsius is rejected and returned.