If you own and operate a delicatessen and want to ensure that cold cuts and cheese blocks retain their shelf life, use the following storage and inspection tips to provide your clientele with products that you are proud to offer.
Rotate Products And Reduce Waste
If you store meats and cheeses in a walk-in freezer, line products up on an interior shelving unit and preserve original packaging so that you can refer to the expiration date of each food item. As products arrive at your business, store them behind other items that are already inside of the freezer so that older items are served before newer ones.
Before opening the delicatessen for the day, visually inspect the contents of the freezer and remove products that are needed to fill deli cases. If meats or cheeses will be expiring shortly, offer the items for a reduced fee to eliminate the prospect of needing to toss products into the trash.
Monitor Temperatures And Clean The Freezer On A Routine Basis
Look for industrial thermometers for sale, and purchase one that has a glass cover and that provides a digital readout. Use the industrial thermometer to check the freezer's current temperature. If you notice that the temperature inside of the freezer fluctuates or has risen or dropped to a temperature that could damage fresh products, have your freezer unit inspected by a technician. An operable freezer is crucial to your delicatessen's longevity, so acquiring prompt service will be beneficial.
Get into the habit of cleaning the freezer's interior each week. If you have several staff members who can assist you, schedule a time at the end of work shifts for your workers to organize the contents in the freezer and throw away products that have spoiled or packaging the materials were shipped in.
Keep A Log Book That Includes Dates And Quantities Purchased
Use a standard notebook or journal to log information pertaining to the dates that meats and cheeses were purchased and the current amount of each product that you have on hand. Review the information in the book at random intervals.
By doing so, you can determine if you have an abundance of a product and need to attempt to sell a good bit of it or decide that it is time to order additional products that you are beginning to run out of. The log book will also assist with informing you about products that tend to be best sellers so that you can begin ordering larger shipments of favored meats and cheeses.
