In short
- What the rule is
- Potentially hazardous food should be accepted only under temperature control, or where the supplier can show its time out of control keeps it safe. Frozen food should arrive frozen.
- Who it applies to
- Every business that takes deliveries of potentially hazardous food. The receipt record applies to category one businesses.
- What you need to do
- Check chilled and frozen food as it arrives, and record the date, the food, and either its temperature or how long the delivery took.
- What this does not require
- You do not need both a temperature and a delivery time. Either one is enough for the record.
What the rule says
Standard 3.2.2 clause 5 asks a business to take all practicable measures to accept potentially hazardous food only if it is under temperature control, or if the supplier can show that its temperature, given the time it has been out of temperature control, will not affect its safety. Food meant to arrive frozen should arrive frozen.
For a category one business, receipt is a prescribed provision under Standard 3.2.2A. Where a record is kept under clause 5(3), it shows the date, the food received, and either its temperature or the time taken to deliver it.
Who it applies to
Every business that takes in potentially hazardous food. Receipt, storage and cleaning are the three provisions that apply to almost every category one kitchen.
By sector: Restaurants and Bars, Mining and Remote Sites
What it looks like in practice
Probe a sample of chilled food from each delivery, or read the supplier's temperature record if it gives one. Check frozen food is frozen hard. Put it away promptly.
One record may cover several foods. A single line for a mixed delivery is fine, and so is writing the temperature on the invoice or docket.
If chilled food arrives above 5°C and the supplier cannot show how long it has been out of temperature control, the safe course is to turn it away and note why.
Ask suppliers for their ingredient and allergen details. A caterer is entitled to written allergen information from its suppliers (Standard 1.2.1), and information from suppliers is the kind of record that supports a due diligence defence under section 27 of the Food Act 2008 (WA).
What you are not required to do
- Both a temperature and a delivery time. The record accepts either.
- A separate line for every item. One record may cover several foods.
- A special form. A marked invoice or docket works as well as a log.
Doing it in Hospitality Shield
Staff record each delivery in Hospitality Shield as it arrives, with the supplier and either the temperature on arrival or the time taken to deliver. A note on the entry can say what came in and what was turned away.
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Asked about this rule
Do we have to take the temperature of every delivery?
No. The record may show the temperature or the time taken to deliver, and the supplier may be able to show the food stayed safe. Many kitchens still probe chilled deliveries because it is the quickest check.
Can we refuse a delivery?
Yes. If chilled food arrives above 5°C and the supplier cannot show its time out of temperature control keeps it safe, the safe course is to reject it.
Can we write the temperature on the invoice instead?
Yes. No form is prescribed, and annotated invoices are an accepted way to keep the record.
Sources
- Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, Federal Register of Legislation
- Receiving food, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
- Standard 3.2.2A Food Safety Management Tools, Federal Register of Legislation
- Evidence tool, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
- Food Act 2008 (WA), Western Australian Legislation
General information about the rules in Western Australia. It is not legal advice. Your local government's environmental health officer decides how the rules apply to your premises.