How to Avoid Food Waste in Your Commercial Refrigeration Units

It only takes food two hours to spoil. Food begins degrading when you don’t store it at the proper temperature, humidity, or location. You must learn how to conserve food and limit waste to save money. Avoid food waste by organizing your unit, limiting how much food is in the unit, using the FIFO rule, and setting the proper temperature for your commercial fridge.

Organize Your Unit

As with most things, life operates better when we are organized and strategic–the same goes for commercial refrigeration units. While they may only store and keep our food cold, you risk wasting valuable food if your unit is disorganized.

Follow these simple tips for reducing food waste:

• Store all similar foods together–they require the same temperature and humidity and have a similar shelf life.
• If you have multiple units, designate units for specific types of food that need different temperatures.
• Don’t hide items–in other words, don’t stick something way back in the fridge that you forget about it.

Limit How Much Food Is in the Unit

Waste occurs when you overstuff your unit. Even though a unit can hold a lot of produce and goods, it doesn’t mean you should fill it to the brim. To properly store food in your walk-in cooler, ensure adequate air circulation to help food maintain a consistently cold temperature and stay fresh in your commercial refrigerator.

“First In, First Out!”

The best way to reduce food waste is to follow this simple rule.

“First In, First Out” means that the first packages of food that enter the fridge are the first ones an employee takes out. It would help if you used stickers or labels with written expiration or use-by dates to help employees know which ones to use first, so they don’t waste food.

Set the Proper Temperature

Whether or not you use several units, you must set your refrigerator to the proper storage temperatures of 34-37℉. When kept in this range, food will remain safe for much longer.

If you have temperature-sensitive foods in the same fridge, keep your raw meat and dairy on the bottom shelves in the back and let your produce stay on the top shelves to reduce waste.

Conclusion

Wasted food is the biggest mistake any food business can make. Follow these tips for food storage to ensure your meat, dairy, and produce last as long as possible in your walk-in refrigerator and are safe to consume.

If you need help monitoring and testing your commercial refrigerators, contact PGS to schedule an appointment. We help businesses like you maintain your commercial refrigeration units with regular service and repairs.