Module VI- Purchasing, Receiving and Food

Storage
1. Participate in the purchasing of food, enteral products, cleaning
supplies, and other non-food supplies for the food service facility
under the direction of the assigned manager. Forecast food needs
taking into account the facility menu, production needs, availability
of items, storage facilities, budget and cost of holding inventory.
Document purchasing in records.
AND
2. Prepare specifications assigned by the food service director
based on the needs of the facility and participate in the selection of
vendors. Develop summary of your findings
Food, enteral products, cleaning supplies and expendables are all purchased through US Foods.
WAMC is piggybacked on a Veterans Administration contract and must use US Foods as their
sole distributer. The only exceptions being that drinks are purchased through Coca-Cola and
bread items are purchased through Sara Lee.
I participated in the ordering process with the subsistence and supply department. The first step
was to obtain all of the pull-sheets from the Cook Forman. The pull-sheets have a tally of all
ingredients needed for recipes during a set time period. After making sure all of the pull-sheets
were there, and included all needed days, we checked current inventory for items already inhouse (IH). Next, we used an order sheet to mark the number of items of each product that
needed to be ordered. The order sheet was broken down into categories, including: vegetables,
meat, paper goods, and chemicals. Products listed under each category are used currently by
WAMC DFAC. We started with the pull-sheet for meat products and went down the order sheet
marking what was needed and what was already in-house. We then continued with the
vegetable pull-sheet, frozen items, expendables, etc.
This is an example of a pull-sheet:
REQ

ISSUE

LUNCH

REQ

ISSUE

DINNER

REQ

SUNDAY

DATE:

Apple Spice
Ca.

1 case

Asparagus

1 case

Carrot
Sliced

1 case

Blueberry
Pie

1 case

Malibu
Vegetable
Blend

1 case

Spinach

1 case

MONDAY
Chicken
Noodle
Soup

DATE:
5 case

Cape Cod
Veg. Blend

2 case

Key
Biscayne
Veg. Blend

1 case

Coconut
Cake

2 case

Green Beans

3 case

Zucchini
Squash

1 case

Apple Pie

1 case

Chicken Pot
Stickers

4 case

Garlic
Bread

1 case

ISSUED

For nutritional supplements and enteral products, par levels have been established. These items
are stored in the locked dry goods cage. If a patient tray service (PTS) worker needs more for
their section, they ask for a key holder to open the cage and collect what they need. When it is
pulled, the par levels drop and an order will be placed for what they took at the next order date.
Three orders are made weekly. On Monday, the DFAC receives a delivery for items needed
Thursday through Saturday. On Wednesday they receive items required Sunday through
Wednesday, and on Friday they receive a restock shipment for everyday items and products that
may have been overlooked during the two previous orders.
Finally, we accessed US Foods ordering portal and placed the order. Ordering is facilitated by
the creation of lists on the website that contain all of the products the WAMC DFAC orders.
These lists are in the same format as the order sheet used by the subsistence and supply
department to record needed products. This allows the clerk entering the order to go down the
order sheet and enter products needed in the same order the products are listed on the ordering
screen. This prevents clerical errors from going back and forth, page to page.
After the order is reviewed and submitted, US Foods will alert the clerk if more items than usual
have been ordered, if products are unavailable or on backorder. At this time, corrections can be
made if necessary. For the current order, frozen baby carrots were unavailable to ship until the
day they were needed on the cycle menu. The website recommended a different product. A
price comparison was made by the clerk, and the recommendation was denied based on cost.
The subsistence manager said he would order fresh carrots instead.
I was informed that the order for fresh meat must be placed by noon the previous day. This
includes: beef knuckle, ground beef, beef strips, and diced beef, etc. The order for all other
products should be received by 1400 hours.

3. Use a computerized inventory and purchasing system at the

hospital or institution if available. Develop summary of your
activities
In addition to the experience above, I have used the ordering platform several other times for
other module work.

To complete Module VIIs standard recipe cost card, I used Womacks username and
password to access their US Foods account and ordering history. I did this to review
prices and unit size of ingredients used at the dining facility, along with the specific
ingredients in the recipe I was costing. I noticed that prices had fluctuated since the
initial cost card was done on the recipe. After calculating all the new ingredient prices
the new recipe cost was $0.01 less than the previous one.
For Modules III and X, I accessed US Foods to price all proposed recipes for Black History Month.
When making sure that the menu fell within the lunch allotment for meal card holders, I was
initially surprised at how much over the allowed amount I was. Ordering pre-made foods, like
pans of macaroni and cheese, inflated food costs entirely too much. I corrected this where
possible by ordering individual ingredients for recipes.

4. Participate in the receiving process following correct procedures

including inspection and documentation. Develop summary of your
findings
AND

5. Participate in storing supplies according to standards. Develop

summary of your findings
I received the food order on Friday at 0600 hours. Before the truck came, we restocked items
needed for the day in the kitchen. For example: we checked the refrigeration units in the cooks
station to make sure soup bases were adequate, and plenty of canned goods were in the racks
for use that day. We also restocked fruit and vegetables in the unlocked cooler so they could be
easily accessed that day by workers who needed them. All of these items are examples of
already signed out or ASO products. ASO products have already been signed out of inventory
and are readily accessible. Boxes are emptied and broken down if necessary in all storage units.
This routine is important in order to make sure there is sufficient storage available in the
refrigeration and freezer units before the order arrives.
In accordance with the US Foods contract with the VA, deliveries are on an honor system. The
driver drops off the shipment, and it is Subsistence and Supplies job to make sure all products
are accounted for. If a product is damaged or spoiled the driver does not take it back, it is
reported and the DFAC is reimbursed for it. If something is missing, it is also reported for credit
or placed on the next shipment.
The following photo is the delivery truck that morning:

Here is an example of how the pallets arrived. They were packaged haphazardly in some
instances. A bag of flour has been busted in this photo. This bag is pending further managerial
inspection to determine if it should be sent back.

The truck is visually inspected for signs of inappropriate handling of food. Carts have been
cleaned, sanitized and lined up to receive items off the pallets according to what storage area
they belong. Items that arrived were quickly inspected to make sure they were at the right
temperature. The driver does not wait for a signed copy of the accounted for products. He drops
them close to the storage area in which they belong and they are quickly put away. An electronic
signature is collected and he leaves. After all products have been stored, an inventory of the
shipment is taken to look for missing items. At this time, expiration dates are checked and boxes
inspected for damage or spoiled product.
Items are stored according to the FIFO method, or first in, first out. Meats, cheeses, prepared
salads, juice concentrates, etc., are stored in the cheese box. This freezer needs a key for
access and is a way management can control who has access to expensive items. Meat boxes
are verified by weight when they are removed from pallets and checked against the delivery
invoice to make sure weights are accurate.
Whole vegetables, salad dressings, yogurts, condiments, etc. are stored in the vegetable cooler.
Items like fruit and bottled beverages (that will be used that day), along with chopped items for
the salad bar are stored in the large cooler that is accessible to all workers. Temperature
displays on the outside of coolers and freezers report the temperature inside and sound an alarm
if fluctuations occur. Here is a picture of this readily accessible cooler:

This is a picture of the dry goods storage area. Items are lined up according to where they fall on
the order sheet. This way when checking for inventory, the employee can walk up and down the
aisles following the order form and quickly assess what products are missing or readily stocked.

After the items are put away and accounted for, the list is given to the accountant who will then
pay the invoice and enter all inventories into Computrition. (See controlling pilferage in question
8)

6. Participate in a complete or partial inventory at your food

service facilities. Develop summary of your findings
Physical inventory- All subsistence items on hand will be physically counted on the last
working day of each month. In January, the Inventory will take place on Thursday the

29th. (Observed) The Nutrition Care Division (NCD) Chief will appoint personnel to assist
in the physical inventory. Two teams will be used. The reconciliation of counts between
the teams will not take place until the entire inventory has been completed. The Medical
Treatment Facility (MTF) commander or designee will appoint a disinterested officer or
noncommissioned officer (staff sergeant and above) to at least one inventory team to
verify procedures semiannually. Inventory value is determined by multiplying the number
of issue units on hand by the most recent price of the item received (current costing).
Inventory control- Subsistence and supply are tasked with maintaining, as close as
possible, a just-in-time inventory with no more than 3 to 5 days worth of subsistence on
hand. As a guideline, the value of the food inventory will normally not exceed 10 percent
of the previous fiscal year (FY) authorized monetary value allowed for subsistence.
Differences greater than one half of one percent or .05 of the total value for all items
under perpetual inventory will be investigated, explained, and corrected.
Perpetual inventory- Multifaceted Computrition, in its food service management
inventory role, will provide a perpetual inventory on all subsistence items. A 10 percent
sample of total inventory line items will be selected monthly for review

7. Participate in the supervision of issuing foods at your food

service facilities. Develop summary of your findings
As mentioned before, key holders are responsible for issuing food to areas where it is needed for
production. Some of these areas were mentioned in previous questions, yet it is important to
note that these items are used every day. They are soup bases, biscuits, muffins, items for the
Grab and Go production staff, and short order grill items like oil and French fries.
For recipe specific items an efficient method of supply preparation has been implemented at
WAMC DFAC. So cooks do not have to continually ask key holders for items from the storage
areas, carts prepped with all ingredients needed for the days meals are assembled in advance
and delivered to the preparation area daily. Carts are usually prepared on Mondays for ThursdaySaturday, and on Wednesdays for Sunday-Wednesday. When an employee takes a day off, or
goes on vacation, carts are prepped a week in advance to make sure everything needed is
available.
As items are added to these carts they are taken out of inventory. If items are returned to
storage, they are placed on shelving denoting it as ASO (Already Signed Out). When carts are
made, the ASO shelves are used first.
Carts are ready in dry storage, vegetable storage, and the meat freezer. Before meat items go
on daily carts, they are moved from the freezer to a thaw box. The thaw box is 37 degrees and
starts the thawing process. Using this, items do not have to be thawed at room temperature or
in sinks. This keeps items at ideal temperatures as long as possible.
As mentioned before, PTS workers remove nutritional supplements and enteral products as
needed and stock their area. When par levels of these items fall, more are ordered.

This is a photo of carts in dry storage ready for the week:

8. Study how pilferage is controlled at your food service facility.

Develop summary of your findings
Inventory variance is a common business occurrence in which the amount of inventory is
less than what records show should exist.
(Purchases + Opening Inventory) / (Closing Inventory)
A common cause of inventory variance is theft or pilferage. Pilferage can be external or
internal. Externally customers, or internally food service workers, can steal food.
Sometimes simple mistakes lead to an inventory variance such as; lost items or errors
recording received items, spilled, spoiled or misplaced items.

Ideally, inventory variance should be no more than 0.005 (1/2 of 1%). Any higher than
this should be investigated, explained and corrected.
While at WAMC, two instances of pilferage occurred in the Dining Facility. I was present
for the Chief of the Nutrition Care Divisions meeting with all food service workers to
address this problem. After Thanksgiving, when counting inventory, it was noticed that a
box of candy bars that we used for patient holiday baskets was missing. This box was
not incredibly large or bulky and could have conceivably been taken without drawing
attention to the action. Another instance of pilferage involved a ham which is also
relatively small. Both instances were noticed when counting inventory and logged on the
inventory variance report.
A meeting was called and the Chief addressed the staff. She acknowledged the incident
and expressed her disappointment. The Chief told the staff that stealing equates to lost
revenue which affects new equipment purchases, prevents hiring, holiday parties, and
raises for current employees. She encouraged employees to keep an eye on their peers
and if they see them doing something wrong to call them out on it. She spoke about the
food service staff as family and appealed to their sense of camaraderie and loyalty to the
department in hopes of preventing future incidences.
The address by the Chief was an informal way of handling employee misconduct. Other
ways include: using clear trash bags, restricting access to storage areas, monitoring
employees as they leave the building or take out trash, etc.
Formally, inventory is accounted for by Computrition software. When a shipment is
received, the inventory is entered into Computrition by the Nutrition Care Division
accountant. Then, all recipes (also stored in Computrition) used during a certain time
frame will deduct their ingredients automatically from the inventory record. Items that
are ASO are removed as needed. Expendables and chemicals are considered ASO as
well. When a physical inventory is performed, Computrition data is pulled to determine
what should be left on hand.