Good Retail Practices for Retail Meat Operation Processes

Display

Meat Display Case Sanitation

A written procedure for cleaning display cases should be created which contains a schedule for cleaning.

As a guideline, cases should be cleaned at least once per week with inspections conducted to determine if more frequent cleaning is required due to leaking packages or other source of contamination.

Display Case Maintenance   

A written schedule for inspection of retail display case refrigeration systems by qualified personnel is helpful to ensure proper temperature and humidity.

When maintenance or repair of refrigeration systems is performed it is essential that food products contained in the case be removed, or adequately protected, to prevent contamination or a rise in temperature.

Temperature measurement devices within the display case should be periodically checked to ensure proper function and accuracy.

Refrigeration Failure

In the event of refrigeration system failure or power outage, product should be inspected by management and, where the product temperature has exceeded 4°C for a significant period of time, meat products requiring refrigeration must be disposed of.

Inventory Rotation

Product must be removed from storage and put on display in accordance with a first in–first out program. “Best Before” and “Packaged On” dates of products should be monitored daily to ensure any outdated product is not still on display.

Meat Display Temperature

The surface of all raw meat products contain spoilage bacteria and in some cases potentially harmful bacteria which grow quickly if exposed to air temperatures over 4°C. To ensure shelf life and safety, temperature of cases should be monitored and recorded at least three times per day.

For optimal shelf life, fresh meat should be maintained at temperatures between 0 and 2°C (meat freezes at -1.5°C). Frozen meat should be kept at -18°C in the frozen case.

If temperature is monitored using thermometers which measure display case air, precautions must be taken to ensure a valid measurement. It is important to remember that even if the thermometer is properly calibrated and placed within the retail case, it will not give an accurate indication of the temperature of product placed above the load line. If load line limits are exceeded surface temperature of packages may approach the temperature of room air as warm drafts created by passing consumers, and the overall store temperature, prevent effective cooling.

Remember that lights in display cases give off heat and will warm product kept too close.

During hours of non-operation, meat in a display case should be covered or when possible placed in a cooler.

Product Placed Outside of Display Case   

If a meat product is left outside of the display case, on a shelf, or in an abandoned shopping cart, the product should be destroyed. This is both to protect against temperature abuse and, in rare cases, potential product tampering.

Package Inspection

Periodic inspection of the case should be performed to ensure there is no leaking/damaged packaging or any other condition which might permit contamination. Consumer handling of leaking products may result in raw meat juices containing potentially harmful bacteria contacting other products in the store or at home. Extra caution is required with ready-to-eat meat products where damaged packaging may result in consumer illness.

It is also important to inspect packages to make certain that all labels are still present and are readable on the packages.

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