Food Safety and Labeling when using Cook-Chill System
In principle, food containers must be sealed and labelled in accordance with organizational requirements and customer specifications. The label should be placed where it can easily be read during handling, storage and reheating. Color coding systems can be used which provide information such as type of dish, day of packaging, or dietary information. The label may include the following information:
• Type of food
• Number of portions
• Use-by date
• Dietary information
• Service or garnish suggestions
• Required heating times
• Quantity/weight of food
• Date on which it was cooked
• Date on which it must be used.
Food containers should be correctly labelled and sealed before storage. This is important for the following reasons:
- Unlabeled and unsealed containers may cause unnecessary delay on delivery.
- Incorrect labeling will result in wrong deliveries that will waste time.
- Customers may receive incorrect orders, which may lead to customer complaints or to possible cancellation of contract.
- Food sealed incorrectly will be exposed to outside contamination threats and may not be fit for consumption.
After the labeling process, the containers are transported and placed into the normal refrigerator, which is set at 0 – 5°C (optimal temperature is 3°C).
Reference: Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority (THETA), 2003