How do you implement FIFO (first in, first out) method in your F&B operations?

● 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗢 refers to → (𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻, 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝘁). ● It is a system for storing & rotating food. ● In FIFO, the food that has been in storage the longest (𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻) should be the next food used (𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁). ● This rotation prevents pathogen growth, keeping food fresher. 👉 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘁 ⁉️ ✅️ 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀𝗲-𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 ➡ Mark all food in refrigerators, freezers, and storage with a use-by date. ✅️ 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 ➡ Keep packages of the same food in one area. ➡ This organization makes finding food easier & reduces the time to stock items. ✅️ 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 ➡ Newer food should be put behind older food.

Implementing First-In-First-Out (FIFO) minimize waste and ensures food safety. Benefits of FIFO in fnb *Controlled food waste* *Food safety standards* *Inventory control* *Cost savings* Procedure to follow Label all stored food with receipt or preparation date and time. Organize storage areas (e.g., walk-in refrigerators, freezers) by date, product, and usage date Inventory levels and usage tracked by Inventory Management system Educate staff on FIFO principles, importance and procedures. Regularly inspect storage areas and enforce FIFO adherence.

-Label and Date: Clearly mark all products with purchase or expiration dates. -Organize Storage: Place older stock at the front and newer stock at the back. -Train Staff: Educate your team on FIFO practices for consistent inventory management

FIFO (First In, First Out) ensures that the oldest stock is used first, preventing product spoilage and maintaining freshness. It reduces waste, promotes efficient inventory turnover, and helps meet food safety regulations.

FIFO is beneficial from both industry and customer perspective as it helps minimize the food wastage and promote proper inventory management and it helps maintain customer health and safety by providing them safe food (food that is not expired).

-Clear Labeling: Use consistent labels with purchase or expiration dates, and consider color-coding for different product categories. -Standardize Procedures: Ensure all staff follow the same labeling system and regularly check labels for accuracy. -Regular Audits: Conduct frequent inventory checks to reinforce FIFO practices and minimize waste.

-Organized Storage: Arrange storage areas with older products in the front and newer ones in the back to ensure easy access and use. -Categorization: Separate products by type, size, and temperature to avoid mixing and obscuring labels. -Regular Maintenance: Clean and sanitize storage areas frequently to prevent contamination and pest issues.

Follow the below steps to organize your store for effectiveFIFO implementation: 1. Clear Shelving System: Arrange shelves so that older products are placed at the front, with newer items stocked behind. 2. Labeling and Dates: Ensure all products are clearly labeled with dates for easy identification. 3. Designated Zones: Create designated storage areas for new arrivals and ensure older stock is consistently moved forward. 4. Visual Aids: Use signs or color-coded systems to help staff quickly identify which items to use first. 5. Routine Checks: Implement regular inspections to ensure stock is rotated correctly. 6. Employee Training: Continuously train staff on FIFO principles and ensure compliance with food safety standards.

Regularly store daily received stop at back and old stock at front to maintain FIFO practice. Making it a culture will prevent any non-conformity in following FIFO. All staff must be trained to adequately store food as per the FIFO practice.

Traditionally, implementing the FIFO (First In, First Out) method in F&B operations required significant physical infrastructure changes—dedicated gates for input and output, separate storage flows, and complex layouts to ensure older stock is used first. This approach demands heavy investments in both infrastructure and operational adjustments, often facing pushback due to costs and logistical challenges. However, with a digital system like Udyog Yantra, every SKU is assigned a unique digital identity, integrating its expiry date and movement history. This eliminates the need for costly physical adjustments, as inventory tracking and FIFO management become seamless, reducing waste and improving accuracy.

To train staff on FIFO effectively, begin by emphasizing its critical role in reducing waste, ensuring product freshness, and safeguarding consumer safety by preventing expired products from reaching customers. Introduce a clear labeling system to easily identify older stock and demonstrate proper rotation techniques, ensuring the oldest items are placed at the front. Regular inspections should be conducted to enforce adherence, while continuous feedback and reinforcement will help maintain consistent practices. By properly implementing FIFO, staff contribute to both operational efficiency and the protection of consumer health and safety.

Checking daily inventory is important to ensure accuracy in supply chain operations. With appropriate time management, combining checking FIFO and inventory daily at a particular time can be a practice and will prevent any customer complains, staff complains or any concerns that may target supply chain activities. Hence using modern technologies is a best way to focus on these times daily. In this case, presence of adequate trained resources is also important. Cooperation of top management is required to make it successful.

Laziness is a major factor in preventing FIFO implementation. We must train our staff adequately tell them its importance and work on it.