Safe Food Storage

Safe food storage is one of the most effective ways to prevent food-borne illness impacting food business operations. When food is stored incorrectly, harmful bacteria can multiply, packaging can fail and cross-contamination can occur without warning. 

Food Handlers have a legal obligation to understand temperature control, date marking, effective stock rotation and safe storage layouts to keep food safe from delivery through to service.

This guide explains the essential requirements for safe food storage in Canada, with practical tips to help Food Handlers maintain compliance and protect consumers.

Improperly stored food can spoil quickly, spread bacteria or absorb contaminants from the environment. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) estimates that around four million Canadians experience food-borne illness each year, and unsafe storage practices are one of the most common contributing factors.

Safe storage practices reduce risk by maintaining safe temperatures, preventing contamination, protecting packaging integrity and ensuring food remains within its safe shelf-life.

Safe storage guidelines are designed to:

• Slow bacterial growth
• Keep food out of the Temperature Danger Zone (4°C-60°C / 40°F to 140°F)*
• Separate raw and ready-to-eat foods
• Protect food from pests and chemicals
• Ensure traceability through proper labelling

*In Manitoba, the Temperature Danger Zone is defined as  5°C-60°C / 41°F to 140°F.

Dry storage areas must be clean, well organized and maintained at safe environmental conditions to protect shelf-stable products.

Key requirements include:

• Storing food in a cool, dry and well-ventilated area, ideally between 10°C and 21°C.
• Keeping food at least 15cm off the floor on shelving that is easy to clean.
• Regularly checking for signs of pests, water leaks or damaged packaging.
• Keeping chemicals and cleaning products in a completely separate location.
• Rotating stock so older products are used first.

Tip: If a package is swollen, torn or has signs of moisture damage, dispose of it immediately and investigate the cause. Record findings in your business’s incident register to note the issue, the product impacted, and the required corrective actions.

Refrigeration slows bacterial growth and is essential for storing potentially hazardous foods.

Safe refrigeration guidelines:

• Keep refrigerators at 4°C (40°F) or below*
• Check and record temperatures at least twice per day.
• Do not overload fridges - cold air must circulate freely.
• Store raw meat, seafood and poultry on the lowest shelves to prevent drip contamination.
• Store ready-to-eat and cooked foods on top shelves away from raw items.
• Cover all containers and keep lids sealed to prevent cross-contamination.

*5°C (41°F) or below in Manitoba

Reminder: Always discard refrigerated food that has been in the Temperature Danger Zone for more than two hours. This time is cumulative, so any time spent preparing the food also counts towards the 2-hour limit.

Frozen food remains safe for extended periods when kept at correct temperatures, but it still requires careful handling.

Best practices for freezers:

• Maintain freezers at -18°C (0°F) or below.
• Label and date all frozen items.
• Wrap products tightly to prevent freezer burn.
• Never refreeze food that has thawed.
• Defrost freezers as needed to prevent ice build-up that can affect temperature stability.

Reminder: Never thaw food at room temperature. The safest way to thaw frozen food is in the refrigerator.

Effective labelling ensures proper stock rotation and reduces the likelihood of serving unsafe food.

What to label:

• Product name
• Preparation or opening date
• Use-by or best-before date
• Allergen information (if repacked internally)

Always follow manufacturer instructions and clearly separate use-by (safety-related) from best-before (quality-related) dates.

Tip: Implement a colour-coded day label system to help staff identify the age of products quickly.

First In, First Out (FIFO) ensures that older stock is used before newer deliveries, preventing waste and reducing the likelihood of using expired items.

How to apply FIFO:

• Move older stock to the front of shelves after each delivery.
• Check dates every day during opening procedures.
• Discard food past its use-by date immediately.
• Do not combine old and new batches of the same food.

Reminder: FIFO applies to all storage areas - dry, refrigerated and frozen.

Cross-contamination can occur easily during storage if food, equipment and packaging are not separated correctly.

Prevent contamination by:

• Storing raw and ready-to-eat foods separately
• Using sealed, food-grade containers
• Keeping allergens isolated from other food items
• Storing chemicals away from all food areas

If you suspect cross-contamination has occurred, discard the food immediately.

Well-maintained equipment supports stable temperatures and protects food from contamination.

Equipment checks:

• Calibrate thermometers regularly
• Clean and sanitize shelving, fridges, freezers and containers
• Ensure seals, gaskets and doors close properly
• Remove clutter to allow for efficient airflow
• Schedule periodic professional servicing of refrigeration equipment

Warning: A malfunctioning refrigerator or freezer can quickly cause large quantities of food to enter the Temperature Danger Zone.

Food Handlers play a critical role in keeping stored food safe throughout its shelf life.

Key duties include:

• Checking and recording storage temperatures
• Labelling and date marking all prepared items
• Storing food immediately after preparation
• Reporting signs of damage, pests or equipment failure
• Maintaining strict personal hygiene, including proper hand washing

Tip: Assign responsibility for daily storage checks to a rotating team member to ensure consistent compliance.

Every day, employees working in food businesses all over Canada take part in online food safety training to learn more about critical food safety concepts, such as:

• Causes of food-borne illness
• Time and temperature control of food
• Safe food handling practices
• Preventing cross-contamination
• Managing food allergies
• Health and hygiene requirements

There is no substitute for skillful, engaged and well-informed staff when it comes to protecting your customers and your business from food safety risks.

Fundamental food safety concepts and safe food handling procedures must be taught and repeated until they become second nature. Visual aids like posters, videos and checklists are a great way to reinforce food safety training.

Contact us for more information about food safety training and our extensive library of food safety resources.

At the Canadian Institute of Food Safety (CIFS), our mission is to reduce food-borne illness in Canada through education, promotion and advocacy for better food safety practices. 

To improve food safety in Canada, we want to make it as easy as possible for businesses to do the right thing. We strive to protect both business owners and consumers from the consequences of food-borne illness.

We work with the public, as well as small, medium and enterprise food businesses in every industry that is regulated by the Canadian government.