Trigs-ProduceDeptManual-web-product-flow

Product Flow
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Product Flow – The Food Chain
There is much more to a supermarket than what you see on the sales
floor. An entire series of events must occur before any product is
displayed on the sales floor for purchase. You are a key part of this
Food Chain!
Cold Chain Integrity
• Maintaining the proper temperature for our perishable items is essential. This
process preserves the quality and “integrity” of our fresh products from the field
to the sales floor for our Guests.
• Every day there are deliveries to our produce departments. Each delivery must be
received properly to ensure the correct items and amounts as well as the top
quality we demand for our Guests.
• Items must be brought directly, with as little delay as possible, to the backroom or
cooler areas as soon as they are inspected and signed-for to uphold the cold
chain integrity. Keep in mind for every ten degrees above 34 degrees the shelf life
of produce items will be cut in half.

Product Flow – Receiving Product
Procedure for receiving Produce;
• When receiving a produce delivery, it is important to maintain the “Cold Chain”.
• Inspect the temperature of the truck at the time of delivery. In our part of the
country, the weather can be both very hot or very cold. The product shelf life
can be affected if the refrigeration of the truck is not at the proper
temperature for the duration of time product is transported from the
warehouse to the store.
• If the product is refrigerated, it must be received at the correct temperature
(32 to 41° F).
• Product that is stored at room temperature must be separated from the
product that is stored in a cooler.
• Be sure to separate any mixed –department pallets immediately. Notify the
other departments of the delivery and ensure their products are properly
stored as well.
• Do not leave pallets on the loading dock or in the backroom more than 20
minutes of receiving. Be certain to put refrigerated product into the storage
cooler as soon as possible. Product can break down and become unsafe or
lower in quality when “temperature abused”.
Inspect the temperature of the truck at the
time of receiving the delivery. Check internal
temperature of product with a stem
thermometer.
Move pallets in the cooler
immediately upon receiving
and store until pallets are down
stacked
Never leave pallets on the back dock or in
receiving

Product Flow – Receiving Product
Procedure for receiving Produce;
• Verify the invoice for accuracy. Ensure that all of the product is present and that
it matches the invoice..
• Verify for acceptable quality. We do not want to accept damaged, spoiled or low
quality product. Since the method in refusing product can vary widely by suppler
as well as the potential out of stock situation refusing product may cause, you
should follow these simple steps;
• Assess how many cases are involved.
• Alert your Department Lead or the Person in Charge of the situation and
follow their guidance.
• Checked for code dating – in code and with an acceptable amount of in-code
days remaining. Note: This varies widely by product. See your Department
Manager for guidance and questions.
• Important – Organically grown products (known as “Organics”) may have a
slightly different appearance than non-organic products. Only experienced
Associates should receive Organic products. See your Department Lead for
guidance and direction.
Inspect each pallet to ensure product
is properly stacked, not turned over or
damaged.
Inspect highly perishable items for quality
immediately upon receiving . Inspect
several cases to get better sample size..

Product Flow – Receiving Bananas
Special Care items;
• Certain products need special care when we receive
and store them. At the top of that list is Bananas.
• The internal case temperature of bananas upon receipt
should be between 51 to 56 degrees F. They must
never be frozen or exposed to excessive heat.
• If you find the product has been temperature-abused,
follow the procedures and guidance of your
department manager.
Check the temperature of at
least 3 cases of bananas by
inserting a stem thermometer
in the bottom of a banana
Bananas are stored in a dry area in the back room that is away from drafts, doors or
other possible locations where the temperature can fluctuate quickly.
Bananas also require room to breath. Within an hour of receiving the product, they
must be “capped and air stacked”
1. Remove the top of each case, turn the top of the case up-side-down and
insert the bottom portion of the case into the top. This helps provide
strength for proper stacking.
2. Remove any cardboard covering the product and unwrap the plastic
covering the product . Roll the plastic over the sides of the case
3. Restack the cases in alternating direction to expose the most amount of
product to the air in the room.
See the product information sheet on bananas for more detail on how to handle
them and why they matter so much to the produce department.
Bananas are very temperamental and require care and
attention to ensure proper ripening. Time is critical, it is
important to properly store bananas as quickly as possible
after delivery.

Product Flow – Storing Product
Whether the product we receive is refrigerated, frozen or at room temperature, how
we store it is an important part of the product flow.
Some products are stored under refrigeration and others stores at room temperature.
Below are the items that are typically not stored in the cooler;
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Avocados Nuts (pistachios, peanuts, etc.)
• Bulk foods
• Any other non-refrigerated items
Remember –
Bananas never
go into the
cooler!
Note; “Organic” products must be stored separately from non-organic products
to avoid “cross contamination” and for ease of identification.
Organization is very important;
• It provides the correct amount of storage space for each department, especially when multiple
departments share the same storage space
• Reduces the time it takes to find product to bring to the sales floor
• Helps our order-writers know the product we have on-hand already
• Avoids needless damage to product during storage
• Helps create a safer and more pleasant workplace
Each backroom and storage cooler has a general organizational plan that maps out
where product is to be located during storage. See your department manager for your
department’s specific plan .
When a delivery is received, it is common that some of the product is needed on the
sales floor right away. Be sure that this need does not create a temperature-abuse
situation. Short-cuts can be costly!

Product Flow – Storing Product
Breaking down and stacking a delivery is an important part of maintaining an
organized cooler and backroom.
FIFO – First In First Out
FIFO is a method of product rotation and is an important part of maintaining
freshness and quality. It all starts in the cooler and backroom.
Rotation means that the newest product is stored behind or under the
older product already on-hand. This practice helps ensure that the older
and more ripe product is selected for stocking on the sales floor FIRST.
Note: There are exceptions to the FIFO rule. Sometimes new product will arrive
that is riper than the product on-hand. When this occurs, it is smart to place the
riper product ahead of what is already on-hand. When you suspect this has
occurred, ask your department manager or an experienced associate for guidance.
Make sure the item description is facing
out to properly identify when retrieving
product to work to the sales floor.
Keep like items together,
especially product received in
ice.

Product Flow – Code Dating
To ensure that we are using the older product first, we write the date each case
was received. This practice is called Code Dating.
It is not unusual for the person breaking down and stacking the deliveries, is not
the same person that will stock some of those items on the sales floor. Code dating
is a simple and effective method of communicating between shifts.
To properly code date;
• Use a black marker. Some cases are coated in wax or are damp and a marker may
now work well. In those instances, a marking label or label gun may be used. See
your department manager for the method your department is using.
• Record the date the product was received in the upper right-hand corner of each
item.
• Use a simple month/day method (example – 3/10 for March 10 th ). The year is not
needed and should not be used.

Product Flow – Skill Check
General Knowledge
Clear understanding of shrink - able to describe it, identify when and where it occurs
and the impact it has on the department's profitability
Competency
(Date)
Instructor
(Initials)
Clear understanding of "Cold Chain Integrity" - able to describe it and why it matters.
Assist in Receiving / Breaking Down /Storage of a Large Delivery
Receiving the truck
Checking Temps
Check for quality, including bananas
Invoice count verification
Proper storage location (dry storage or cooler)
Full rotation
Code dating
Capping and storing bananas
Competency
(Date)
Instructor
(Initials)