Food safety
Food Receiving Checklist for Restaurants
- Who checks
- Storekeeper, head chef or sous chef receiving the delivery
- When
- At every delivery, before signing the invoice
- Time
- ~15 min · 25 items
| Location | Date and time | Inspector | Signature |
Receiving is the first control point in your HACCP plan and the last moment when a problem can be sent back to the supplier instead of written off at your own cost. Once the invoice is signed, partially thawed frozen goods, meat close to its use-by date or product without paperwork become your responsibility.
Check the delivery before you sign, right at the truck or in the receiving area. Start with perishables: chilled and frozen first, dry goods after. Record every non-conformance with a photo and a note on the rejection form; set any disputed item aside and keep it apart from accepted stock.
Receiving Setup
-
1
Deliveries are checked in as soon as the truck arrives Chilled and frozen goods are unloaded and checked within minutes, not left in the corridor until service is over.☐ Yes☐ No
-
2
Food is never placed on the floor during receiving Boxes go onto a cart, pallet or receiving table; the route from the door to storage does not pass through the ready-to-eat area.☐ Yes☐ No
-
3
The receiver checks the delivery against the purchase order, not just the invoice The receiver has the order in hand and checks items and quantities against it; items not ordered and substitutions are not accepted without the chef's approval.☐ Yes☐ No
Delivery Vehicle
-
4
Chilled and frozen products arrive in a refrigerated truck or insulated containers The truck's refrigeration unit is running and the display reading suits the load; for small deliveries, insulated boxes with ice packs.☐ Yes☐ No
-
5
The cargo area is clean, with no odors or spills Look inside: no dirt, blood or leaked liquid on the floor, no rotten or chemical smell.☐ Yes☐ No
-
6
Raw products in the truck do not touch ready-to-eat food Raw meat and fish are not stacked above ready-to-eat products or produce and are separated by containers or shelving.☐ Yes☐ No
Paperwork and Labels
-
7
The supplier is on the approved supplier list The supplier appears on the list approved by the chef or food safety lead; one-off market purchases from unknown sellers without documents are not accepted.☐ Yes☐ No
-
8
Every batch comes with food safety documentation Besides the invoice — the conformity and traceability documents required by your local regulations; products of animal origin usually require veterinary or health certificates.☐ Yes☐ No
-
9
Quantities and weights match the invoice Weigh meat, fish and catch-weight items on your own scales; any variance beyond the contract tolerance is recorded on the form.☐ Yes☐ No
-
10
Packaging has a legible label with a use-by or best-before date The label shows product name, manufacturer, production date, use-by date and storage conditions. Unlabeled product is rejected.☐ Yes☐ No
-
11
Remaining shelf life is sufficient for use Remaining shelf life is no less than agreed in the supplier contract (for perishables, often at least half the total). Product expiring tomorrow is not accepted without approval.☐ Yes☐ No
Temperatures
-
12
Chilled products are no warmer than 5 °C (41 °F) on receipt Probe between two packs without piercing them. The upper acceptance limit is set by your local regulations and the supplier contract (some countries allow up to 6–8 °C / 43–46 °F); anything warmer is rejected.☐ Yes☐ No
-
13
Temperature of the sample chilled item, °C / °F Record the product and the reading; the same figure goes into the receiving log.
-
14
Frozen products are frozen solid at −18 °C (0 °F) or below The product doesn't give under finger pressure; measure between packs. Apply a receiving tolerance (some codes allow up to −15 °C / 5 °F) only if it is written into your procedures.☐ Yes☐ No
-
15
No signs of thawing and refreezing No large ice crystals or pinkish ice inside the pack, pieces are not frozen together in one block, boxes are not warped by moisture.☐ Yes☐ No
-
16
Fresh fish arrives on melting ice Fish is packed in flake or crushed ice that has not yet turned to water; fish temperature is close to 0 °C (32 °F).☐ Yes☐ No
Appearance and Packaging
-
17
Packaging is undamaged No torn film, vacuum packs that have lost their seal or leaks; cans and jars are not swollen, dented at the seam or rusty.☐ Yes☐ No
-
18
Meat and poultry show no signs of spoilage The surface is not sticky or slimy, no gray or green patches, no sour or ammonia smell.☐ Yes☐ No
-
19
Fish shows signs of freshness Gills are bright red, eyes are bulging and clear, flesh is firm — a finger dent springs back quickly; smell is fresh, no ammonia.☐ Yes☐ No
-
20
Eggs are clean, uncracked and date-marked Check several trays: shells are intact and clean, the date is on the shell or tray.☐ Yes☐ No
-
21
Fruit, vegetables and herbs are free of rot and mold Check the top and bottom layers of each case: no wet rot, mold or slime; potatoes are not green.☐ Yes☐ No
-
22
Dry goods are free of insects and signs of rodents Sacks and boxes are intact with no gnaw marks or droppings; flour and grains have no beetles, moths or damp lumps.☐ Yes☐ No
After Receiving
-
23
Chilled and frozen goods are put away under refrigeration within 15 minutes Time it from unloading to closing the walk-in door. Perishables go away first, dry storage after.☐ Yes☐ No
-
24
Shipping packaging does not go into production fridges Dirty cardboard boxes and wooden crates are removed at receiving; product is moved into clean containers and the manufacturer's label details are transferred.☐ Yes☐ No
-
25
Non-conforming goods are set aside and a return is documented Rejected goods are kept separately and marked "return"; the form states the reason (temperature, date, packaging) and the driver has signed or the refusal is recorded.☐ Yes☐ No
This template is a starting point. Check the limits and wording against your local regulations, your company standards and the equipment manufacturers' instructions.
jeCheck · https://jecheck.io/en/templates/food-receiving
Common violations
- The invoice is signed without opening the boxes because the driver is in a hurry. After signing, it is almost impossible to make a claim about temperature or shelf life.
- Temperature is taken by piercing a vacuum pack. This breaks the seal and introduces bacteria from the probe — measure between packs instead.
- The delivery is left in the corridor until unloading or the lunch rush is over. Half an hour in a warm room is enough for chilled meat to leave the safe temperature range.
- Products are moved into kitchen containers and the label is thrown away. Without it, the use-by date and lot number are unknown — and the product can't be traced if the supplier issues a recall.
Frequently asked questions
Reject that item: record the refusal on the form with the actual temperature and photograph the thermometer and the packaging. Never accept it "on the driver's responsibility" — once received, responsibility lies with whoever signed the invoice.
No. Spot-check 1–2 units from each group of chilled and frozen products, starting with those nearest the truck door. If even one is out of range, check the whole batch.
Only a trained employee with the authority to reject a delivery: the storekeeper, chef or sous chef. The manager approves the list of these people; if whoever happens to be around signs for deliveries, receiving becomes a formality.
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