It’s important for the efficiency of your commercial refrigerator, freezer or walk-in cold storage that it is not overpacked. When a commercial refrigerator or freezer is overpacked, it hinders air circulation and proper airflow is critical to ensure that all foods are cooled evenly without hot spots.
In order to minimize the possibility of cross contamination, meat should be stored on the lowest shelves. This reduces the possibility of juices or marinades from any stored meat to touch other stored foods unintentionally. Food spills in freezers, refrigerators and walk-in refrigerators and walk-in freezers can create multiple opportunities for cross contamination increasing the risk of food borne illnesses.
Produce should be stored away from fans because ethylene is generated by ripening fruits and vegetables and this gas can damage other food products. Placing produce in front of a fan causes the ethylene to be circulated through the cabinet and onto other food items. Additionally, fans have the potential for damaging produce or other delicate items.
Finally, when organizing your commercial cold storage, it’s important to follow a first-in, first-out or FIFO system. When you use a FIFO system, your food inventory will stay as fresh as food possible each time by using the oldest ingredients first and you will reduce the potential for loss of inventory through spoilage.
