Some Facts About Food Grade Warehousing

1. Some Facts About Food Grade Warehousing Whether it includes the storage of fresh fruits and vegetables, food ingredients and additives, refrigerated or frozen meats and seafood, or finished packaged food ready for sale, food-grade warehousing plays a very important role in getting food from the producers to the customers. Food-grade warehousing also plays a key role in the health and safety of our food supply. The best food warehouses maintain an AIB Superior food- grade rating.

2. Here are some facts you should know about Food Grade Warehousing: A food warehouse can be a food storage capability of any size, storing any quantity of food for either long or short periods of time, for distribution in normal food channels. Food Warehouses serve up as a critical link in the food chain from the farmer to processor to distributor to retailer and ultimately to the consumer. Like all businesses, the objective of the food warehouse is to generate profits for its owners and provide job opportunities for workers. It serves its clientele by providing access to food in and out of season whether locally sourced or from other regional, national or international sources. The most common types of food warehouses comprise: dry storage warehouses, cold or frozen storage warehouses, chilled or refrigerated storage warehouses and many more. Safe food warehousing is essential. It prevents economic losses for all members of the food channel, facilitates economic growth and trade, promotes health and well-being within the community at large and prevents the spread of food-borne illness and diseases. Certification programs like that provided by AIB International play a decisive role in food safety auditing and education. When travelling a food warehouse during an on-site visit, you should pay attention to the grounds surrounding the building to make sure they are free of weeds, trash, standing water, rodent tracks and/or burrows. The exterior of the warehouse building should be well-maintained and in good repair. There should be no obvious cracks or holes in walls. Openings for pipes or conduit entering the structure should be properly sealed to prevent entry of pests. Roofs should not leak. Within the warehouse building, floors, walls and ceilings should be smooth, clean and maintained in good repair. Windows and doors should close tightly to prevent entry of pests.

3. Frequent thorough cleaning plays a significant role in preventing cross contamination and maintaining hygienic conditions within the warehouse. Typical equipment used in a food grade warehousing include forklifts, shelving, storage bins, pallets, refrigeration units (chillers), freezer units (freezers), temperature and humidity gauges. Equipment should be rust resistant, odor resistant and non-porous, so that it can be easily cleaned and sanitized. Food items should be stored at the appropriate temperature and humidity in areas of the warehouse that are free from physical, chemical or microbiological hazards. Food items should be stored and rotated on a first-in, first-out basis. Thermometers should be present in all Frozen Storage, refrigerated storage and dry storage areas. On-site temperature logs should be maintained for these storage areas. In general, all Frozen Food Products should be stored at a temperature of 0 degrees F or lower. Temperatures in chilled or refrigerated storage should be reserved between 34 degrees F and 39 degrees F. Temperatures in dry storage areas should be kept between 50 degrees F and 70 degrees F. Hazardous chemicals needed for the operation of the warehouse, such as pesticide, cleaning agents, solvents, lubricants, etc. should be safely and securely stored with access limited to authorized, trained employees. These materials should be appropriately labeled and used in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions regarding handling procedures, required protective ware, quantities for safe usage, etc.

4. Accurate Warehousing is based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area with its headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our goal is to offer excellent services while maintaining the highest level of professionalism. We value our customers, and our primary purpose is to offer the best services available in the market. Our quality services make us one of the most preferred warehousing solutions company in Las Vegas.