Food Storage, Labeling & FIFO: the full procedure
Label, store, and rotate product first-in-first-out so food is used in order and waste drops.
- Applies to: All kitchen staff.
- Frequency: Continuously — at receiving, prep, and close.
- Scope: Covers the labeling and FIFO rotation workflow + storage order. Exact use-by day counts, cook/hold temperatures, and the raw-storage temperature order follow ServSafe / your local health code.
What you need
- Date labels / day dots
- Markers
The procedure, step by step
- Label and date everything — Label every stored item with its prep/use-by date (and receive date if none). Discard unlabeled time/temperature-controlled food per policy.
- Rotate FIFO — First in, first out: place oldest dates at the front and newest behind, every time you restock, so older product is used first.
- Group like items — Group items by type so rotation is easy to see and check at a glance.
- Follow the storage order — Store ready-to-eat above raw, and stack raw items in the standard order. The specific order is set by minimum cook temperature — follow ServSafe / local code for the exact arrangement.
- Re-rotate on every delivery — When new stock arrives, move existing product forward and place new stock behind so FIFO holds after each receiving.
Quality check before you finish
- All stored food labeled and dated.
- Oldest-to-front FIFO maintained.
- Like items grouped.
- Ready-to-eat above raw; storage order per code.
- Re-rotated after each delivery.
This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Restaurant business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.
Sources
- StateFoodSafety — Date Marking & FIFO (statefoodsafety.com)
- WebstaurantStore — FIFO Inventory Method (webstaurantstore.com)
- ServSafe — Flow of Food: Storage (order by cook temp) (servsafe.com)
About Free Food Storage & FIFO SOP
Free printable food storage SOP: date-labeling and first-in-first-out rotation, plus the storage-order logic — so product is used in order and waste drops.
How to use
- Read the full procedure top to bottom before the work — the SOP runs in order and each step builds on the last.
- Toggle Ink-saver (black & white) for a cheaper mono print for the binder; leave it off for the full-color version.
- Click Print SOP to print or save as PDF. Print one per crew, laminate it for the binder, or attach it to the job in your scheduling system.
- Train new hires on it and have staff sign off. Found something out of date? Use the feedback link — flagged SOPs are re-researched against the source list.
Frequently asked questions
What is FIFO in a restaurant?
FIFO — first in, first out — means using older product before newer: when you restock, the oldest dates go to the front and new stock behind. Combined with clear date labels on everything, it minimizes spoilage and waste and keeps product fresh.
How should food be stored and labeled?
Label every item with its date, rotate FIFO, and follow the standard storage-order logic for the walk-in. The exact cook/hold temperatures and raw-above/below rules are food-safety requirements — follow ServSafe and your local health code; this SOP covers the labeling-and-rotation workflow.
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