Before that plate of food gets to your table fresh and tasty, so much goes on. Warehousing for food storing is a very crucial stage in the food industry, without which the industry would crumble. Food distributing companies, as well as transporting companies, must invest heavily in food storage for their business to remain afloat.
A food warehouse can be of any size, storing different types of food. The food stored can be of any amount and for a varying period. The most common types of storage are dry storage, frozen, as well as refrigerated storage. Regardless of the storage type, the core function of warehousing for food storage is ensuring maximum sanitation and state of the art health standards.
Besides being essential to economic growth, warehousing for food storing is critical in preventing the spread of various foodborne diseases.
Things That Should Never be in a Food Warehouse
For maximum food safety, while inspecting food grade warehouses, the inspection officers should be keen to see that there are no leaks either on the roof or the walls. They should also ensure that the warehouse is built away from any standing water, dumpsite, or weeds.
Any damages, for example, open pipes, should be repaired with immediate effect. Additionally, any chemicals or pesticides should not be stored anywhere near the food warehouse.
Food Grade Storage Principles
Four common principles govern warehousing for food storing.
Sanitation Schedule
Every food warehouse should be sparklingly clean at all times. Any cleaning activity carried out should be documented appropriately, and the documentation should be available anytime.
Personal Training and Hygiene
In every warehousing for food storing company, all members of staff should be adequately trained on how to handle food correctly. To observe maximum hygiene, they are required to clean their hands with soap thoroughly.
Lot Traceability
Every warehouse should be able to trace every product that comes in or goes out. To achieve this, proper record keeping is mandatory.
Pest Control
Control substances should be placed along the warehouse’s perimeter wall to ensure that no pest finds its way to the stored food.
Basic Food Storage Tips
Warehousing for food storage might be challenging. However, below are some crucial tips that everyone should follow.
- All areas where food is stored should have thermometers. The thermometers are for the hourly temperature checks. All the temperatures collected should be adequately documented in the logbook for reference purposes.
- Under no circumstances should food be stored in direct sunlight.
- Each type of stored food, whether dry, frozen, or refrigerated, should be stored under the specified temperature.
Factors to Consider when Choosing a Food Warehouse
Shipping, actual storage, as well as distribution, are all crucial in a food chain. Therefore, when choosing a food and beverage logistics company to work with, you must be very careful. Below are some factors to consider.
Certifications
The food industry has stringent policies that must be observed without fail. If a warehouse does not meet the set standards, then the consumer’s health is put on the line. Before choosing a company, research to ensure that they meet all the requirements.
Location
Some foods are highly perishable, while others are not. Proximity, therefore, is very crucial when it comes to transportation. Transporting highly perishable food, for instance, over a long distance, might not be valid. Besides perishability, a warehouse in a centralized location helps you cut down on transportation costs.
Warehouse Management
Food products are so fragile that slight mismanagement can lead to significant losses. It can put the health of the consumers on the line. Therefore, before choosing a warehouse, ensure that it is under proper management for the safety of your products.
Warehouse Condition
To be on the safe side, pay a visit to the warehouse before working with them. Assess the hygiene levels as well as the infrastructure quality. If you are pleased, you can go ahead and store food with them.
Reputation
The reputation of business matters. Find out more about the warehouse and people’s experience with it.
Efficient Supply Chain
If you can get a food logistics company that can handle both storage and distribution, go for it. It simplifies management and cuts costs significantly.
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