Potential Food Safety Risks: Total Store and by Department - Retail Food Safety - page 21

Guidelines are also provided in the Canadian Food Inspection System Implementation
Group —Food Retail and Food Services Code 2004 . Temperatures may also be speci-
fi ed in provincial/state regulations. It is important to be aware of and comply with the
temperature requirements of the regulatory jurisdiction in which a store is located.
Temperatures may vary somewhat from one jurisdiction to another. Generally:

• Products that do not have storage instructions on the label are shelf-stable and are

maintained at ambient/room temperature

• Products labelled “keep refrigerated” are maintained at 4 °C or below

• Products labelled “frozen” are maintained at−18 °C or frozen solid

In those instances where a thaw-and-sell product is a potentially hazardous prod-
uct (i.e., requires temperature control once it is thawed), it is important to ensure
that the product temperature does not go above 4 °C during the thawing process.
Non-potentially hazardous thaw-and-sell products that are intended for sale at
ambient temperature may be thawed at ambient.
Product rotation, on a First In First Out/First Expired First Out basis, minimizes
the potential for microbial growth and toxin production and also aids in saleability,
maintenance of product quality, and reduces the potential for infestation as appli-
cable to the specifi c product.
It is imperative that product be received at retail at the appropriate temperature
and with adequate durable life.
On a product-specifi c basis, it is important that product be:

• Reheated, cooked, or baked to the appropriate temperature
• Held hot at 60 °C or above
• Chilled to the appropriate temperature within the appropriate time frame and
then maintained at 4 °C or below
• Rotated to minimize the opportunity for growth of pathogenic microorganisms
and the production of microbial toxins

3.2.1.3 Labelling/Service Case Tags/Signage

Food labels assist in the management of potential food safety risks by providing
retailers and consumers with a variety of information. Depending on the product
and the level at which it is packaged, such information may include, but is not lim-
ited to: product description; net quantity; storage instructions; durable life informa-
tion; name and address of the responsibly party; ingredient and allergen information
and preparation instructions.
Details in regard to Canadian food labelling requirements can be found in the
Food and Drug Regulations , the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations ,
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency — Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising
as well as in other commodity-specifi c legislation.
Details in regard to labelling requirements in the United States can be found in
the Federal Food , Drug and Cosmetics Act , the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act ,
the Nutrition Labelling and Education Act , U.S. Food and Drug Administration —