Food delivery receiving procedure
SOP template
Check this template against your local regulations and your own policies before you use it.
| SOP no. | Version | Effective date | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Approver | Review date |
Purpose
To accept only safe, correct deliveries, and get chilled and frozen food into storage before it warms.
Scope
Every food delivery to the kitchen, from every supplier.
Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Receiving staff | Checks and records each delivery, and rejects anything unsafe. |
| Head chef or manager | Approves suppliers and follows up rejected deliveries. |
What you need
- A calibrated probe thermometer and sanitising wipes
- The receiving record
Procedure
Check the delivery matches the order
Check the supplier is approved and the goods and quantities match the invoice.
Check temperatures
Probe chilled food between packs and check frozen food is hard frozen, against the limits your local food rules set.
Check packaging and dates
Reject damaged, leaking or opened packs, and anything past or close to its use-by date.
Look for pests and contamination
Look for droppings, gnaw marks, insects and raw food stored above ready-to-eat food in the van.
Reject what fails
Hand back anything that fails, note it on the invoice and record it.
Caution: Never accept food you are unsure of because the kitchen is short.
Store it quickly
Put frozen food away first, then chilled, then dry goods, labelled and rotated so older stock is used first.
Records
- The receiving record with temperatures and any rejections.
Related documents
- Food temperature log
Revision history
| Version | Date | What changed | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
