Commodity proximity of food. The rules of commodity neighborhood of products in the public catering and in the store

Employees of any institution that is directly related to food should strictly comply with the rules of the commodity neighborhood. This will significantly extend the shelf life of products and not spoil its quality. After all, few people will be pleased, having bought a cake with a pronounced smell of smoked sausage or herring in the store.

Basic principles of food distribution

Commodity proximity is considered one of the most significant factors determining the conditions of food storage. When placing products, it is necessary to be guided by the principles of efficiency, safety and compatibility of products. The rules of commodity neighborhood imply the need for careful selection of goods with identical sorption characteristics and similar storage regimes. So, it is absolutely unacceptable to place frozen products next to the chilled. This can lead to the fact that the first defrost, and the second, on the contrary, freezes. In addition, it is strictly forbidden to store a number of wet and dry goods. The first will certainly dry up, losing marketability, and the latter - will be moistened and subjected to microbiological damage.

Also, all products can be conditionally divided into two groups: sorbets (giving off aromas) and sorbents (absorbing odors). Butter is able to absorb the smells of fish or paint, sugar quickly absorbs the "flavors" of diesel, gasoline and kerosene, and coffee and tea are quickly absorbed by cosmetic and perfume smells. The main reason that products start to emit uncharacteristic aromas is that the staff does not observe the goods neighborhood in the store or in the warehouse.

The most common errors allowed when placing products

Unfortunately, many employees of public catering establishments are guilty of not following the rules. But the commodity proximity of products is the most important factor determining the storage conditions. One of the most frequently admitted errors is the placement in one cold chamber of finished and raw products. In exceptional cases, in the kitchens of small establishments that have only one refrigerator, short-term storage of the daily supply of food on separate shelves or shelves is allowed.

In addition, it is often violated the ban on the joint storage with other products of products such as baker's yeast, vegetables, fruits, all kinds of cheeses, sausages and ice cream.

What is the reason for such problems?

The main reasons that lead to improper commodity proximity of foodstuffs need to be sought in the organizational aspects of the work of the enterprise. One of the most important problems can be considered a supply disruption. Not every café adheres to the principle of "first-come-first-out", which implies the use of ingredients in the order of the order in which they enter the warehouse.

The second common problem is a complete or partial lack of understanding of demand. The cooks of most catering establishments often begin to prepare in the morning many dishes presented in the menu. And then wait, when they will be bought. At the same time, few of them are thinking not only about the commodity neighborhood of products in the public catering, but also about the expediency and economic profitability of such a scheme.

How to prevent such problems?

The main focus should be on the right product neighborhood. This is very important also because a small company can afford to allocate large areas for storage facilities. All types of purchased ingredients should be stored in the factory packaging. These can be cans, barrels or boxes. In case of damage to the package during transportation, it must be replaced with a new one. Failure to comply with the storage rules is fraught with premature deterioration of food products.

A commodity neighborhood in a public catering implies that all stocks should be categorized. To extend the shelf life of the product, it should be stored next to the same type of ingredients.

Requirements for refrigerators and warehouses

In order not to violate the commodity neighborhood, there must be at least three isolated pantries in the institution:

• For storing vegetables and fruits;
• For dry products;
• Cooled room to accommodate perishable ingredients.

All storerooms should be kept in perfect purity. To maintain order in them, regular cleaning should be carried out. Indoors, there should be no foreign smells. They need to be equipped with a good ventilation system. The temperature and humidity of air, which must be maintained in the pantry, directly depend on the type of ingredients stored there.

Perishable products are recommended to be placed in a refrigerator or freezer, depending on the expected shelf life. At the same time, we should not forget that neither cooling nor freezing can not completely destroy microbes. One of the grossest examples of how the commodity neighborhood is disrupted is the storage of meat and minced meat on one shelf, leading to the transfer of pathogenic microflora from the raw ingredient to the finished product.

How to store vegetables and fruits?

As a rule, they are placed in dry and well ventilated rooms, the temperature in which is close to 0 gr. Too high humidity can provoke premature spoilage of these products. As a result, they can appear mold and signs of rotting. In the process of long-term storage of vegetables and fruits, they are recommended to be checked regularly for the presence of spoiled fruits.

For storage it is allowed to use boxes or volumetric baskets, which are placed on a clean floor or special shelving. Sour vegetables are transferred to barrels or glass jars. Potatoes can be poured into clean bags. It is important to ensure that there are no sudden temperature fluctuations in the pantry.

How to store canned foods?

There are no special requirements for the storage of factory conservation. It is important to understand that they should not be placed near heating devices. Keep them preferably in a cool dark place, away from direct sunlight. Do not forget that juices, jams and syrups, stored at too low a temperature, are quickly candied. Boxes with canned food in an unlocked tin container should be kept at low temperatures. Otherwise, the contents of the cans will have an unpleasant metallic taste.

How to store semi-finished products and finished products?

To place products belonging to this category, you need to acquire a special refrigeration equipment. And semi-finished products are categorically forbidden to store near ready meals. Meat and fish semi-finished products, including minced meat, are classified as particularly perishable. If the storage conditions are violated, microbes begin to develop quickly enough in them.

Ready-made products, which must be sold in broths or in sauces, are necessarily subject to an additional fifteen-minute boiling. Unsold dishes are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 12 hours. Before each subsequent serving, the dish should be carefully inspected. In addition, the cook must try this food.

How to store loose dry ingredients?

First of all, it is necessary to decide what is included in this category. To free-flowing dry products you can include sugar, cereals, flour and pasta. For their storage it is recommended to allocate a well ventilated room, the humidity level in which does not exceed 75%. The slightest excess of this indicator is fraught with damage to products.

For storage of dry loose ingredients, bags, bags, glass or plastic cans with closable lids are ideally suited. They can be placed on racks or special pallets. Choosing a place to store these products, you need to consider the fact that they are able to absorb well not only moisture, but also foreign smells. Therefore, they are not allowed to be placed in close proximity to coffee, tea, fish and meat. In the absence of an isolated pantry for dry loose ingredients, they can be stored in hermetically sealed containers.

How to store butter and cheeses?

Almost all kinds of cheeses and butter should be stored in a refrigerator for no more than 15 days. Unlike butter, cheeses should not be frozen, since after defrosting they lose their marketable appearance. Both of these products are able to perfectly absorb odors, so they should not be placed next to fish, meat and greens. For safety, butter and cheese should preferably be wrapped in food film or stored in containers.