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example, pork, lamb, sausages etc., and should each be stored on separate trays, not all on one tray
together.
Meats in the cold room should be covered, with impermeable or airtight, non-toxic sealing materials
such as clingwrap or foil. Plastic lids (not tea towels or cloths) that seal well can also be used.

Ensure that fresh or defrosted meats do not come into contact with any other foods in the storage
area.

Defrosting in the microwave
If meat is defrosted in a microwave it should be used immediately - never put into the cold room for
later use. Microwaves use heat to thaw food. They will, in some cases, partially cook food. The heat
generated by the microwave is insufficient to properly cook the food but is sufficient to encourage
microbial growth.

Check date stamps
Packaged meats should have an expiration date stamped on the label - when taking delivery or
purchasing the products, check the date stamps so that you purchase products with a long shelf life.
This applies to products, which are packaged fresh, frozen, are canned, sold in jars, or vacuum-
sealed.
Use products before the expiration date.

Any frozen product that comes into the enterprise must be checked to ensure that it has remained
properly frozen during transportation.
Stock rotation procedures should ensure that products are used in the correct order, however, meat
product that is kept frozen or is thawed but, has passed its use-by date, should be wasted. Pre-
packed goods-jars, vacuum packs, cans etc. should be disposed of if they reach their use-by dates
before being opened.

Sort and assemble ingredients according food production sequencing; weigh and measure
ingredients and create portions according to recipe, and use meat preparation techniques
according to recipe requirements

Careful control of the amount of food served to every customer-portion control-is essential for
maintenance of profit margins. Sound portion control can save a restaurant hundreds, or even
thousands of dollars every year. For example, even a small over-portion of an extra 10 cents worth of
meat served on each plate could mean a loss of hundreds of dollars over the year when 100 meals
are served daily.
The amount of food allowed per portion depends upon the following criteria:

1. The type of customer or establishment. There will be a difference in the size of portions
served in a cafe, situated in an industrial area where the customers are largely manual
workers, and in a restaurant situated amongst shops and frequented by people who lunch. A
large hotel might have several different eatery areas within its premise.
Counter meals served in the bar might be subject to different portion controls than those
served in the restaurant and/or those served in the cafe. Different customer types will have
different expectations and each restaurant, cafe or catering venue must know what their
customers expect. There is also likely to be a difference in portion size of, for instance, beef
being served as part of a three-course set or table d'hote menu for $35 and the same or
similar beef dish which alone costs $34 as part of an a Ia carte menu.

2. Food quality. Better quality food usually yields a greater number of portions than poor
quality food. For example, low quality stewing beef is likely to require so much trimming that