PURCHASING

Effective purchasing paves the way for a successful food service operation. Purchasing is a highly skilled
activity requiring knowledge of products and market conditions.

Purchasing involves obtaining the necessary foods in the right quantity, of the best quality, at the right
time, in the right place, and for the most economical price. A quality-control program in food
establishment should ensure that only foods which meet written specifications are purchased from
reputable vendors. The best purchaser considers price, supply and demand, transportation, and storage
cost before placing an order. Food

The main objectives of an effective purchasing program are to:

 buy the product that is best suited for the job.

 buy the proper quantity of the item.
 pay the right price for the item.
 deal with only reputable and dependable suppliers

Purchase specifications are important to both buyer and management. They are the guidelines that
detail the characteristics of a product, including such properties as:

 Quality grade
 Weight
 Count Contents
 Packaging

Specifications make the task of comparison shopping easier, since the characteristics of a product are
expressed in a common language and can be used as a basis for evaluation.

Employees purchasing food must follow these guidelines:

1. Understand regulations for specific foods:

 Purchase packaged or processed foods only from suppliers who receive their products from
licensed and reputable purveyors and manufacturers, who adhere to good manufacturing
practices.
 Fresh produce may be purchased directly from local growers as there is no inspection process
for these non-potentially hazardous foods (with exception of melons and fresh alfalfa sprouts).
When making direct purchases, buyers should ensure packages are clean and will maintain the
integrity of the food item, as communicated through product specifications.
 Meats and fresh shell eggs may be purchased from local producers, but because these foods are
considered potentially hazardous, the products must be inspected for safety. Beef or pork that is
processed in a state inspected locker may be purchased by a foodservice operation. Poultry
must also be processed in a state inspected locker or facility. State inspection is sufficient if the
 food is purchased by a foodservice within that state. These facilities are required to have HACCP
plans in place.
 Only pasteurized dairy products should be purchased for service in facilities serving the elderly,
Pasteurized shell or processed eggs should be purchased for menu items not receiving heat
treatment or not reaching 63° C. Pasteurized apple juice and cider should also be purchased for
service to elderly populations.

2. Visit approved vendors to ensure that they maintain clean warehouses.

3. Observe delivery vehicles to ensure that they are clean and temperature-controlled.

4.Use written product specifications to ensure that the vendors know what is to be ordered.

The foodservice manager will:

 develop and implement written product specifications to ensure products purchased

consistently meet department expectations
 coordinate delivery times with vendors/suppliers to ensure that deliveries are made when they
can be stored immediately. Schedule receiving times when product quantity and quality can be
checked, including product temperature.
 review orders and delivery information to ensure orders and product specifications are being
met
 request a written letter from all vendors indicating that they follow either a HACCP program or
good manufacturing practices
 follow up as necessary

RECEIVING

Strict procedures should be followed when foods are received. All food should be checked for proper
conditions as it is received in the facility. When a delivery is made, it should be checked for both quality
and quantity. Food contaminated with pathogenic micro-organisms, chemicals and foreign matters may
compromise food safety. Therefore, food premises should not accept food known (or suspected) to be
contaminated with these substances.

Temperature and time are the two most important factors to control. Foods need to be received and
stored as soon as possible. The staff of the food service establishment should be checking for
temperatures and conditions of incoming foods.

All refrigerated foods should be put away quickly to prevent time and temperature abuse. Frozen foods
should not have large ice crystals, be discolored or dried-out. Canned goods should have labels, no-
swelling and flawed seams, rust or dents. Never accept home-canned foods because of the risk of
botulism.

Receiving SOP's: Inspect it! Determine food quality by using your senses:
  Sight
 Touch
 Smell

Before you accept the merchandise.

Safe and Approved Food Source

The first line of defense in preventing foodborne illness is to obtain food from safe and approved
sources. Safe and approved sources are suppliers that comply with pertinent laws and regulations. The
only exception is that fresh, whole, uncut produce can come from any source, including roadside
vendors, Farmer's Market, and local gardens. Never use home prepared or home canned food in your
restaurant as it is not known if it was safely prepared.

Inspect before You Accept

Inspect foods to reduce your risk for foodborne illness and to be sure that food is safe. Check delivery
vehicles for cleanliness and proper temperature control. Dirty vehicles could contaminate food. Never
accept food that has been shipped in a vehicle that has carried live animals or harmful substances. If
these vehicles must be used, they must be thoroughly washed, rinsed, and sanitized before they are
used to transport food. Temperature-controlled vehicles must be at the proper temperature.

 Vehicles used to transport refrigerated foods must be at 41oF (5° C) or colder;

 Vehicles used to transport frozen foods must be at 0oF (-18° C) or colder; and
 Vehicles used to transport hot foods must be at 1350F (57° C) or hotter.

Inspect all deliveries before you accept them. It is important to have a list of criteria that you or your
workers will use to determine if the food will be accepted or rejected. The food worker who accepts
food deliveries must be trained on how to use this criteria.

Other considerations

Shellstock is raw molluscan shellfish still in their shell. Molluscan shellfish include oysters, clams,
mussels, and scallops. Shellstock tags must remain attached to the container until the container is
empty. They must be kept on file for 90 calendar days from the date the container is emptied.

Employees receiving food should follow these General Principles:

 Receive only one delivery at a time from approved suppliers.

 Check to make sure frozen food is solid, and does not show evidence of thawing and re-freezing.
 Record the date received on the outside of each package, and a use-by date if applicable.
 Remove potentially hazardous foods from the temperature danger zone (5°C to 60CF) and place
in storage as quickly as possible.
 Check to ensure that refrigerated foods are received below 5°C.
  Accept only pasteurized dairy products.
 Reject potentially hazardous foods that are not at acceptable temperature, and cans with
swelled tops or bottoms, leakage, flawed seals, rust, or dents.
 Evaluate quality of products by odor, sight, and touch. Reject unacceptable products. Products
must meet specifications and quality requirements. If any foods are deemed unacceptable, they
should be rejected and put in a designated area for credit.

Receiving Frozen and Refrigerated Foods:

 Check temperature with a calibrated thermometer to assure that cold foods (especially
potentially hazardous foods - foods in which microorganisms are able to grow rapidly, often
moist, high in protein, and/or have a neutral or slightly acidic pH) are below 5°C.
 Reject, with the exception of fresh shell eggs (7°C), all foods that are supposed to be stored
below 5°C and are delivered above 5°C.
 Check at random and record the temperature of three different types of food items inmediately
for each delivery. Record date, employee different type, product nam and temperature of these
products in the receiving temperature log.