Recording Food Deliveries

Why Delivery Checks Matter

The moment food arrives at your door is one of the most critical points in your food safety system. Once you accept a delivery, you become responsible for that food. If something goes wrong later, you need to prove that the food arrived in good condition.

Protecting Your Customers

Food that arrives at the wrong temperature, past its use-by date, or in damaged packaging can harbour dangerous bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. These bacteria can cause serious illness, hospitalisation, and in rare cases, death.

By checking every delivery, you're acting as the last line of defence before food enters your kitchen.

Protecting Your Business

Proper delivery records protect your business in several ways:

• Food Safety Inspections: Environmental Health Officers will ask to see your delivery records. Complete, accurate records demonstrate your commitment to food safety.
• Supplier Issues: If you receive poor quality food, your records give you evidence to raise issues with suppliers and claim refunds.
• Traceability: If there's a food safety incident, you can trace exactly which batch was affected and when it arrived.
• Legal Protection: In the event of a food poisoning claim, your records can prove you followed proper procedures.

Food Safety Regulations

Several regulations govern how you should receive and check food deliveries. Here are the key requirements:

Temperature Requirements

Food must be delivered at the correct temperature to prevent bacterial growth. The following are the legal maximum temperatures for different food types:

Traceability Requirements

EU and UK food law requires that you can trace food "one step back" (to your supplier) and "one step forward" (to your customer, where applicable). This means recording:

• Who supplied the food - The supplier name
• When it arrived - Date and time of delivery
• What was delivered - Product names and quantities
• Batch information - Batch codes for meat and high-risk foods
• Use-by dates - When the food expires

Why Batch Numbers Matter for Meat

Batch numbers are especially important for meat products because:

• Disease outbreaks: If a batch is found to be contaminated (e.g., with Salmonella), you can quickly identify if you received any affected product.
• Recall management: Food recalls happen regularly. Having batch numbers means you can immediately check if your stock is affected.
• Legal requirement: For beef, there are specific traceability requirements due to BSE (mad cow disease) concerns. You must be able to trace beef back to the animal.

What to Check When a Delivery Arrives

Follow this checklist every time a delivery arrives at your premises:

1. Check the Vehicle

Before unloading, take a quick look at the delivery vehicle:

• Is the vehicle clean and in good condition?
• Is the refrigeration unit running (for chilled/frozen deliveries)?
• Are raw and cooked foods separated?
• Is there any sign of pest activity?

2. Check Packaging and Condition

Inspect the packaging before accepting:

• Is packaging intact and undamaged?
• Are there any signs of thawing (ice crystals on frozen food)?
• Is there any sign of contamination or leakage?
• Are cans dented, swollen, or rusty?

3. Check Temperatures

Use a calibrated probe thermometer to check temperatures:

• Check at least one item from each temperature category
• For large deliveries, check multiple items
• Probe between packs or use an "indicative" surface check
• Record the actual temperature reading

4. Check Dates and Labels

Verify that the food is within date:

• Check use-by dates on high-risk foods
• Check best-before dates on other products
• Ensure labels are legible and complete
• Record batch numbers for meat products

5. Store Immediately

After checking, store food immediately in the appropriate location. The longer food sits at room temperature, the greater the risk of bacterial growth.

Recording a Delivery in SmartChef

SmartChef makes recording deliveries quick and easy. Here's how to record a delivery step by step:

Opening the Delivery Form

1. Go to the Dashboard

   Open SmartChef and you'll see the Dashboard with today's tasks.

2. Find "Deliveries" in the Daily Checks section

   Look for the Deliveries card showing how many deliveries have been recorded today.

3. Tap the + button to start a new record

   This opens a fresh delivery form with today's date and time already filled in.

Filling in the Delivery Details

Date and Time

The date and time are automatically set to when you opened the form. This ensures accurate recording of when the delivery actually arrived. You cannot change this field - it's locked to prevent backdating records.

Supplier

Start typing the supplier's name and SmartChef will show matching suggestions from your supplier list. Select the correct supplier from the dropdown.

Vehicle Check

Record whether the delivery vehicle was acceptable:

• Acceptable: Vehicle was clean, refrigeration working, food properly stored
• Not Acceptable: Issues with the vehicle - record details in the Comments field

Comments/Action

Use this field to record any issues or observations, such as:

• Products refused and why
• Damaged packaging
• Late delivery
• Missing items

Adding Delivery Items

For each item in the delivery, you need to record the details. You can add items in two ways:

Option 1: Manual Entry

1. Tap "Add Item Manually"

   A new item card appears for you to fill in.

2. Enter the Food Item

   Start typing and select from your food items list, or type a new item name.

3. Enter Batch Code (if applicable)

   For meat and high-risk foods, enter the batch number from the label.

4. Enter Use-by Date

   Tap to open the date picker and select the use-by date from the product label.

5. Select Delivery Type

   Choose from Chilled, Frozen, Hot, or Ambient.

6. Enter Temperature

   Enter the temperature reading from your probe thermometer.

Option 2: Scan Product Labels

For faster entry, use the label scanning feature. See the Label Scanning section below for details.

Temperature Checks

Temperature recording is a critical part of the delivery check. Here's how it works in SmartChef:

Selecting the Delivery Type

Before entering the temperature, select the correct delivery type:

• Chilled: For refrigerated foods (dairy, cooked meats, etc.) - expected range 0°C to 5°C
• Frozen: For frozen foods - expected to be -18°C or below
• Hot: For hot deliveries - expected to be 63°C or above
• Ambient: For room temperature goods - no temperature requirement

The Minced Meat Checkbox

When you select "Chilled" as the delivery type, a checkbox appears asking "Is this minced meat?". If you check this box, SmartChef applies the stricter temperature range of 0°C to 2°C instead of the standard 0°C to 5°C.

This applies to:

• Beef mince
• Lamb mince
• Pork mince
• Pre-made burger patties
• Offal (liver, kidneys, etc.)

Entering the Temperature

Enter the temperature reading from your probe thermometer:

• The field accepts one decimal place (e.g., 3.5°C)
• On touch devices, a numeric keypad appears for easy entry
• The temperature automatically formats when you move to the next field

Temperature Warnings

If the temperature you enter is outside the expected range for the selected delivery type, SmartChef displays a warning:

What to Do If Temperature Is Wrong

If food arrives at the wrong temperature, you have several options:

Label Scanning

SmartChef's label scanning feature uses AI to read product labels and automatically fill in the item details. This saves time and reduces manual entry errors.

How to Scan a Label

1. Fill in the supplier first

   The scan button is only active once you've selected a supplier.

2. Tap "Scan Product Labels"

   This opens your device's camera.

3. Point the camera at the product label

   Make sure the label is well-lit and in focus. Include the product name, batch code, and use-by date if visible.

4. Capture the image

   Tap the capture button to take the photo.

5. Wait for processing

   SmartChef sends the image to our AI system, which extracts the information. This takes a few seconds.

6. Review the extracted data

   A new item card appears with the extracted information. Check that everything is correct.

7. Enter the temperature

   The temperature must always be entered manually - you need to actually probe the food!

What the Scanner Extracts

• Food Item Name: The product name from the label
• Batch Code: The batch or lot number
• Use-by Date: The expiry date
• Delivery Type: Whether it's chilled, frozen, etc. (when indicated on label)

Tips for Better Scanning

• Ensure good lighting - avoid shadows on the label
• Hold the camera steady and wait for it to focus
• Include the entire label in the frame
• If the label is curved (on a bottle), flatten it if possible
• Clean labels scan better than dirty or wet ones

Scanning Delivery Dockets

You can also scan entire delivery dockets to pre-fill multiple items at once. This is useful for large deliveries where you have a printed docket listing all items.

1. Tap "Scan Delivery Docket"
2. Photograph the docket (may need multiple photos for long lists)
3. SmartChef extracts all items from the docket
4. Review each item and enter temperatures

Batch Numbers and Traceability

Batch numbers are essential for food traceability. Here's why they matter and how to record them properly.

What Is a Batch Number?

A batch number (also called a lot number) identifies a specific production run of a food product. All items produced at the same time have the same batch number. This allows:

• Tracing food back to its source if there's a problem
• Identifying all affected products in a recall
• Proving which specific items you received and when

Where to Find Batch Numbers

Batch numbers are usually printed on:

• Product labels (often near the use-by date)
• Outer cases and boxes
• Delivery notes and invoices

Look for labels like "Batch:", "Lot:", "L:", or "B:" followed by a code.

When to Record Batch Numbers

You should record batch numbers for:

• All meat products - Required by law for beef, recommended for all meat
• Fish and seafood - Important for traceability
• Dairy products - Especially unpasteurised or raw milk products
• Eggs and egg products - Required for traceability
• Ready-to-eat foods - Any high-risk prepared foods

Entering Batch Numbers in SmartChef

In the item details, enter the batch code exactly as it appears on the label. SmartChef accepts:

• Letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Hyphens (-)
• Underscores (_)

Maximum 20 characters. If the batch code is longer, enter the most significant part.

Photos and Documents

SmartChef allows you to attach photos to your delivery records. This provides visual evidence of the condition of food when it arrived.

When to Take Photos

Consider taking photos in these situations:

• Damaged packaging: Document any damage before accepting or refusing
• Temperature display: Photo of the thermometer showing the reading
• Vehicle condition: If there are issues with the delivery vehicle
• Product quality issues: Discoloration, contamination, or other problems
• Labels and batch codes: For permanent record of traceability information

How to Add Photos

1. Scroll to the "Delivery Documents" section

   This appears below the item details.

2. Tap "Take Photo" or "Upload from Gallery"

   Take a new photo or select existing images from your device.

3. Add up to 3 photos per delivery

   Photos are compressed automatically to save storage.

Completing the Record

Once you've recorded all items and any photos, you need to sign and complete the record.

Selecting the Employee

Select your name from the "Signed by" dropdown. This records who performed the delivery check.

Adding Your Signature

Use your finger (on touch devices) or mouse to sign in the signature box. This provides an electronic signature that forms part of your legal record.

• The box border turns orange while you're signing
• Tap "Clear" if you need to start again
• The border turns green when a valid signature is detected

Saving the Record

Tap "Done" to finalise and save the delivery record. Once saved:

• The record is stored securely in the cloud
• It appears in your delivery history
• It's available for reports and inspections
• Any photos are permanently linked to the record

Troubleshooting

Related Guides

Now that you know how to record deliveries, explore these related guides: