Food Storage and Handling
Methods of food storage differ greatly, depending on the type of food, its sensitivity to handling, and the way it is packaged. Dried goods are generally more easily stored and moved (e.g., sacks of coffee beans) than chilled/fresh items. Canned, frozen, and even living food (fish, eels, etc.) must be stored according to the produce’s instructions and the customer’s expectations.
Ambient warehouse temperature and light conditions will have to be considered, since some foods stuffs are vulnerable to very small deviations from optimum storage conditions. Different foodstuffs require storage at different temperatures. Some manufacturers will provide this information on documentation or packaging. Sometimes, the warehouse will have to apply sortation based on food industry storage guidance charts, so managers must ensure such are available and up-to-date. Ideally, foodstuffs will be stored in dedicated food warehouses, not in mixed storage where ambient temperature fluctuations are more tolerable. Canned and dried food tend to be the easiest to store, but proximity to heat sources must still be avoided. Fragile packaging must also be considered. Food packaged in glass, for example, is best kept on higher shelves away forklifts, pump trucks, and sunlight.
Food specialist warehouses have different zones or ‘compartments’ for different types of goods. These zones will be door sealed so specific temperature ranges can be maintained. Frozen food needs to be kept in a freezer zone, access to which will be restricted for safety and temperature management. Temperatures in the freezer zone will never go above zero, and within the zone, there may be a long-term deep freeze subzone. Power continuity to freezer and refrigeration zones should be supported by on-site generators.
Perishable/fresh items includes vegetables, meat, fruit, herbs, some spices, fish, and tofu. These will have to kept in refrigeration zones to maintain the product’s shelf life. Refrigeration slows the rate of fresh produce deterioration, which means the product reaches the customer in a valid state.
In cross-docking facilities, temperature control can be a challenge. Products designated for brief storage may have to be transferred to longer-term storage if connections are delayed, but typical cross-docking facilities have limited freezer and refrigeration compartments. Also, storage is purposefully brief in cross-docking, meaning movement of stored goods is rapid. Temperature control zones are difficult to manage when they are accessed very frequently. Cold chain disruption is therefore a particular risk when cross-docking.
Temperature is less of an issue with canned goods but is still a legitimate concern, especially in hot and moist environments. Canned goods storage must also be temperature-controlled. Moisture can cause labels to fall away and tins to oxidize, which is why many food goods that originate in humid regions are canned in tin-plated and printed rather than labelled cans. Extreme heat or cold can destroy the contents of cans, even if the can’s exterior remains visibly unaffected.