Commercial Kitchen Food Delivery & Receiving Checklist: How to Inspect Food Deliveries Safely

Receiving a food delivery is one of the first food-safety checks in a commercial kitchen.

It is easy to focus on whether the order contains the correct products and quantities, but a proper receiving process should go further. Staff should check the condition of the delivery, packaging, dates, temperature where applicable, signs of contamination and whether the food is suitable to accept.

A consistent receiving procedure can help restaurants, cafes, bakeries, catering businesses, hotels and other food-service operations identify problems before ingredients enter storage or preparation areas.

This guide explains what to check when receiving a commercial food delivery, when potentially hazardous food should be checked, what to do when an item arrives damaged or outside the required conditions, and how to create a practical delivery receiving checklist for your kitchen.

Quick Answer: What Should You Check When Receiving a Food Delivery?

When receiving a commercial food delivery, check the supplier and delivery details, packaging, food condition, use-by dates, signs of contamination, quantity and product specifications, and the temperature of potentially hazardous food where required.

A practical receiving process is:

1. Confirm the delivery is from the expected supplier.
2. Check that the delivered products match the order.
3. Inspect packaging for damage, leaks or contamination.
4. Check use-by dates and other relevant date information.
5. Look for mould, pests, foreign objects or other visible problems.
6. Check frozen food is still properly frozen.
7. Check chilled food is at the required temperature.
8. Check hot food is at the required temperature.
9. Record or report problems according to your food-safety procedure.
10. Move accepted food into the correct storage conditions without unnecessary delay.

FSANZ advises food businesses to ensure delivered food is from a known supplier, protected from contamination and delivered at a safe temperature. For potentially hazardous food, FSANZ guidance specifies chilled food at 5°C or colder, hot food at 60°C or hotter, and frozen food delivered frozen hard. Always follow your business's documented food-safety procedures and applicable requirements.

Why Is Food Receiving Important in a Commercial Kitchen?

Food receiving is the point where ingredients officially enter your business's food-handling system.

If a problem is identified at delivery, it can often be dealt with before the product is placed into a refrigerator, freezer, dry store or preparation area.

A good receiving process helps staff identify:

• Damaged packaging
• Incorrect products
• Missing products
• Expired or unsuitable date information
• Signs of contamination
• Temperature problems
• Thawed frozen products
• Leaking containers
• Visible mould or pest contamination
• Products that do not meet the order specification

FSANZ states that food businesses must do everything they can to ensure they only receive food that is safe and suitable.

Who Should Check Food Deliveries?

A food delivery should be inspected by someone who has been trained and understands the business's receiving procedure.

Depending on the size of the operation, this could be:

• Kitchen manager
• Head chef
• Sous chef
• Food safety supervisor
• Storeperson
• Trained kitchen employee
• Another authorised staff member

The important point is that deliveries should not simply be left at the door or accepted without inspection when the business's procedures require checking.

FSANZ recommends having someone on site to inspect food as it is delivered.

Commercial Kitchen Food Delivery Receiving Checklist

Use the following as a starting point for developing your own receiving procedure.

Supplier and Delivery

• ☐ Supplier is known and approved
• ☐ Delivery matches the expected order
• ☐ Delivery information can be identified
• ☐ Delivery arrives within the agreed timeframe where applicable
• ☐ Delivery vehicle or packaging appears suitable

Packaging and Product Condition

• ☐ Packaging is intact
• ☐ No obvious leaks
• ☐ No unusual swelling or damage
• ☐ No visible mould
• ☐ No insects or pest evidence
• ☐ No foreign objects or obvious contamination
• ☐ Food is appropriately covered or packaged

Date and Product Checks

• ☐ Use-by dates checked where applicable
• ☐ Product matches the purchase order
• ☐ Correct quantity received
• ☐ Correct size or specification received
• ☐ Product is suitable for the intended use

Temperature Checks

• ☐ Chilled potentially hazardous food checked as required
• ☐ Hot potentially hazardous food checked as required
• ☐ Frozen food remains frozen hard
• ☐ Required temperature records completed
• ☐ Problems are reported according to procedure

After Acceptance

• ☐ Food is moved to appropriate storage
• ☐ Refrigerated food is placed under temperature control promptly
• ☐ Frozen food is returned to frozen storage
• ☐ Dry goods are moved to suitable storage
• ☐ Damaged or rejected goods are separated from accepted stock
• ☐ Delivery discrepancies are recorded

Step 1: Confirm the Supplier and Delivery

Before unloading a delivery into your kitchen, confirm that it is from the expected supplier.

This is particularly important for businesses that receive deliveries from multiple suppliers throughout the week.

Record or confirm information such as:

• Supplier name
• Delivery date
• Delivery time
• Purchase order or invoice reference
• Products received
• Quantity received

FSANZ recommends that businesses can identify the food delivered and know the supplier's name and address.

Step 2: Check the Delivery Packaging

Packaging provides an important first indication of whether food has been adequately protected during transport.

Look for:

• Torn packaging
• Broken seals
• Open containers
• Leaking packages
• Damaged boxes
• Wet or contaminated cartons
• Unusual swelling
• Evidence of pests
• Foreign objects

Food should be appropriately protected from contamination during delivery.

If packaging is damaged but the food may still be safe and suitable, follow your business's established receiving procedure rather than automatically accepting or rejecting the item without assessment.

Step 3: Check for Signs of Contamination

Staff should visually inspect deliveries for obvious signs that food may not be safe or suitable.

Potential warning signs include:

• Mould
• Insects
• Rodent or pest evidence
• Foreign objects
• Broken packaging
• Unexpected leakage
• Unusual contamination
• Food that appears damaged or unsuitable

FSANZ specifically recommends checking delivered food for mould, insects, droppings and foreign objects such as glass or metal.

Step 4: Check Use-By Dates

Date information should be checked before stock enters your normal storage system.

Do not assume that a product is acceptable simply because it arrived in a sealed carton.

Depending on the product, check:

• Use-by date
• Best-before information
• Production information where relevant
• Batch or lot information where relevant

Pay particular attention to short-life products where the remaining shelf life may affect whether the delivery is suitable for your operation.

Step 5: Check the Temperature of Chilled Food

Temperature control is one of the most important checks for potentially hazardous chilled food.

FSANZ guidance states that potentially hazardous chilled food should be delivered at 5°C or colder, unless the business is using an agreed safe alternative time control.

Examples of potentially hazardous foods can include:

• Raw meat
• Poultry
• Seafood
• Dairy products
• Prepared meals
• Some cooked foods
• Other foods that require temperature control

The exact receiving requirements should be determined by the food involved and your business's food-safety procedures.

Step 6: Check Frozen Food

Frozen food should arrive in an appropriately frozen condition.

FSANZ advises businesses to check that frozen food is delivered frozen hard and has not begun to thaw.

During receiving, look for:

• Products that are still frozen solid
• Excessive ice accumulation
• Evidence of thawing
• Damaged packaging
• Freezer burn where relevant
• Leaking packages

If frozen food appears to have partially thawed, follow your food-safety procedure and supplier agreement before accepting it.

Step 7: Check Hot Food

If your business receives hot potentially hazardous food, temperature control also applies.

FSANZ guidance specifies that hot potentially hazardous food should generally be delivered at 60°C or hotter, unless an agreed safe time control applies.

Examples could include:

• Prepared meals
• Cooked catering food
• Hot sauces
• Prepared soups
• Other temperature-controlled cooked foods

Use an appropriate food thermometer according to your business's food-safety procedure.

What Is the 5°C to 60°C Temperature Range?

The range between 5°C and 60°C is commonly referred to by FSANZ as the temperature danger zone for potentially hazardous food.

Food businesses should minimise the time potentially hazardous food spends in this range.

For receiving purposes, the practical principle is:

Temperature requirements can vary depending on the food and the control system used by the business, so your receiving procedure should reflect your approved food-safety system.

How Should You Measure Food Temperature During Receiving?

Use a suitable food thermometer and follow your business's procedure for measuring and recording temperatures.

Good practice includes:

1. Use a clean, suitable thermometer.
2. Check the thermometer is working correctly according to your procedure.
3. Measure the relevant food or delivery condition.
4. Clean and sanitise the probe appropriately between foods where necessary.
5. Record the result when your procedure requires a record.
6. Take corrective action when a delivery does not meet the required condition.

Do not rely only on how cold or warm a product feels by hand.

What Should You Do If a Food Delivery Arrives Too Warm?

If potentially hazardous chilled food arrives above the required temperature, do not simply put it into the refrigerator and assume the problem is solved.

Follow your food-safety procedure.

This may involve considering:

• The actual temperature
• How long the food has been outside the required temperature range
• The type of food
• Supplier delivery records
• Whether an agreed time control applies
• Whether the food can be safely accepted
• Whether the delivery should be rejected or escalated

FSANZ recommends that businesses agree with delivery providers on acceptable delivery temperatures or safe time periods where applicable.

When Should a Restaurant Reject a Food Delivery?

A delivery should be rejected or escalated according to the business's food-safety and supplier procedures when food is not safe or suitable to accept.

Potential reasons for rejection or escalation can include:

• Food is clearly contaminated
• Packaging is seriously damaged
• Food has signs of pest contamination
• Food has passed its use-by date
• Frozen food has thawed when it should remain frozen
• Potentially hazardous chilled food does not meet the required temperature or agreed time control
• Hot potentially hazardous food does not meet the required temperature or agreed time control
• The wrong product has been delivered
• The product does not meet the agreed specification

The exact decision should follow your documented food-safety system rather than an arbitrary rule applied to every product.

What Should Happen After a Delivery Is Accepted?

Receiving does not finish when the invoice is signed.

Once food has been accepted, it should be moved into the correct storage conditions without unnecessary delay.

A typical sequence is:

Receive → Inspect → Accept → Record → Store → Rotate

For example:

• Frozen products go into appropriate frozen storage.
• Chilled products go into appropriate refrigeration.
• Dry goods go into clean, suitable dry storage.
• Products requiring special handling follow their specific storage requirements.
• Damaged or rejected products remain separated from accepted stock.

Good receiving and storage systems work together. Once food has been accepted, it should enter an organised storage system that makes stock identification and rotation straightforward.

How Should a Commercial Kitchen Organise New Deliveries?

Do not simply place every new delivery wherever there happens to be space.

A better system separates stock by:

• Storage temperature
• Food category
• Frequency of use
• Preparation requirements
• Stock rotation
• Kitchen workflow

Gastronorm containers can be useful where your operation uses standardised food storage, preparation or service systems. HeyHey's SOGA stainless steel Gastronorm collection includes multiple GN sizes and depths designed for commercial food-service applications.

How Gastronorm Pans Can Support a Receiving and Storage System

Gastronorm pans are not only service containers. In many commercial kitchens, standardised GN containers can help connect receiving, preparation, storage, cooking, holding and service.

Depending on the kitchen's system, GN pans can be useful for:

• Ingredient preparation
• Portioning
• Refrigerated storage
• Food holding
• Buffet service
• Organising prepared ingredients

HeyHey's Gastronorm range includes different sizes and depths, allowing businesses to choose containers based on their workflow and food volume.

For larger operations, standardised containers can also make it easier to move food between workstations and storage areas.

How Trolleys Can Help Move Food Safely After Receiving

Large deliveries can create congestion if boxes, containers and food products are carried manually through busy kitchen areas.

A suitable utility trolley or food-service trolley can help move accepted supplies between receiving, storage and preparation areas when it fits the kitchen's workflow.

The goal is not simply to add more equipment. The goal is to reduce unnecessary handling and keep food movement organised.

When selecting mobile equipment, consider:

• Load capacity
• Wheel and castor design
• Ease of cleaning
• Available space
• Storage requirements
• Movement between kitchen zones

How to Prevent Cross-Contamination During Receiving

Receiving areas can become busy, particularly when multiple deliveries arrive close together.

Keep accepted food separate from waste, dirty equipment and rejected products.

Also avoid placing food directly on dirty floors or surfaces.

Practical controls include:

• Keep receiving areas clean.
• Use suitable food-contact containers.
• Keep rejected food clearly separated.
• Prevent raw food packaging from contacting ready-to-eat food.
• Clean hands after handling dirty delivery packaging when required.
• Clean and sanitise food-contact equipment appropriately.
• Move accepted food into suitable storage promptly.

How to Handle Damaged Food Packaging

Not every damaged carton means the entire delivery is automatically unsafe, but damaged packaging should never be ignored.

Inspect the affected product and consider:

• Whether the food itself is exposed
• Whether contamination could have occurred
• Whether the container is leaking
• Whether the product remains safe and suitable
• Whether the supplier needs to be contacted
• Whether the product should be rejected

If there is uncertainty, follow your food-safety procedure and seek appropriate advice rather than guessing.

What Information Should Be Recorded When Receiving Food?

The exact records required depend on your food business and food-safety system.

A receiving record may include:

For businesses subject to additional food-safety management requirements, the appropriate records should follow the business's approved food-safety system.

How Often Should Food Deliveries Be Checked?

Food should be checked when it is delivered according to the business's receiving procedure.

FSANZ notes that a business does not necessarily need to check every individual food item or every relevant delivery record, but should check enough to verify that suppliers are meeting the agreed requirements.

The exact sampling and monitoring approach should be determined by the business's food-safety system, supplier arrangements and regulatory requirements.

What Is the Difference Between Receiving and Storing Food?

Receiving is the process of deciding whether delivered food is safe and suitable to accept.

Storage is what happens after acceptance, when food is placed into the appropriate dry, chilled or frozen environment and organised for later use.

The two processes are connected but should not be treated as the same task.

How to Build a Better Food Receiving Process

1. Create a Dedicated Receiving Area

Where space allows, create a defined area where deliveries can be inspected before entering the main kitchen.

This does not need to be a large room. The objective is simply to give staff a clear location for checking deliveries.

2. Create a Standard Receiving Sequence

Every staff member responsible for deliveries should follow the same basic sequence:

1. Identify the supplier.
2. Check the order.
3. Inspect packaging.
4. Inspect food condition.
5. Check dates.
6. Check temperature where required.
7. Accept, reject or escalate.
8. Move accepted food to storage.
9. Record relevant information.

3. Train More Than One Person

If only one employee knows how to receive deliveries, the process can break down when that person is unavailable.

Train the relevant team members so the same receiving standards are applied across shifts.

4. Keep Supplier Requirements Clear

For important food suppliers, document agreed delivery conditions where appropriate.

This can include:

• Delivery days
• Expected delivery windows
• Temperature requirements
• Packaging expectations
• Product specifications
• Required documentation
• Procedure for damaged or rejected goods