The Inventory Methods For the Food Industry

Track food inventory early and often.

Inventory control for the food-service industry poses special challenges because the product is particularly perishable and prone to cause food-borne illness if improperly handled. Food-service inventory-control methods should track product movement frequently and proactively, and should also identify items as coming from particular batches, in order to trace products when food-service issues occur.

Perishability

Food-service inventory methods should correspond to the shelf-life of the products you use. Canned food, which can last for up to several years, does not need to be managed as closely as artisan bread, which has shelf life as short as one day. Develop an inventory-management system appropriate to the degree of your product's perishability. Track the amount of food that you discard or donate after each production cycle and adjust production quantities in order to minimize future waste.

Rapid Turnover

Unlike appliances or sporting goods, which tend to be occasional purchases, most people buy food several times a week to provision themselves for meals that they eat several times a day. As a result, food-service establishments and grocery stores turn over their inventory more frequently than most other types of retail outlets. Develop an inventory system that tracks stock on hand throughout the day, rather than simply at the end of each day or week. Pay attention to patterns that occur over the course of the day, such as increased bagel sales in the morning. Check dates frequently and rotate stock conscientiously for items that are especially perishable, such as milk and prepared food products, especially those containing mayonnaise.

Lot Tracing

The food-service inventory should track not only type and quantity of stock on hand, but also the particular batch or lot from which an item has come. If there is a problem with the quality or safety of a particular item, this degree of attention to detail will enable you to locate and recall all of the product produced in the affected batch. Tracking food inventory by batches involves marking items with codes or numbers corresponding to particular lots, and also keeping relevant data about production methods.

Food Safety

Because food products are prone to cause health and safety issues if improperly handled, food-inventory methods should help minimize the risk of food-borne illness. Develop systems for stocking food inventory so as to easily rotate stock, such as setting up shelves to provide easy access to back rows in order to store incoming product. Develop protocols stipulating how long to keep stock on hand. Wear a jacket and go into the cooler to count inventory rather than pulling stock out of the cooler to count it in a more comfortable setting.

Restaurant Issues

Restaurants face special issues when managing perishable inventory. Restaurants should establish inventory protocols for keeping track of the dates when jars of condiments are opened, as well as the length of time they may be in use before being discarded.

References

• Columbus IT: Food Industry Inventory Methods
• Parity: Food Industry Management
• IFT: Inventory Management