Restaurant FIFO Inventory: Rotate Stock Without Losing Date Control
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FIFO means first in, first out: use older approved inventory before newer deliveries. In a restaurant, the system needs visible dates, assigned shelf positions and a check before staff open another case. Food with an earlier applicable use-by or discard date may need priority even if it arrived later.
Make receiving the start of rotation
- Inspect incoming stock and confirm its identity, condition and relevant supplier information under your receiving procedure.
- Record the receiving date without covering supplier lot codes or handling instructions.
- Check stock already in the assigned space. Move older usable cases forward and put newer cases behind them.
- Separate unopened inventory from opened or prepared foods whose date controls follow a different trigger.
Rotate before the prep list is written
The opening cook checks available approved stock before requesting or preparing more. Keep labels facing the access side of the shelf. A product that needs several boxes moved before anyone can reach it is likely to be skipped, even if its date is correct.
If received order and usable-life order conflict, follow the applicable earlier limit. Document that exception so another shift does not rearrange the stock back into arrival order.
Example: two deliveries of tomatoes
An older case and a new delivery share a shelf. The receiver checks both cases, places the older usable case at the front and records any rejected stock separately. The prep cook uses that case first, rather than opening the easiest new box.
Check the causes of discarded stock
Log item, quantity, cost and reason: over-ordering, hidden stock, damage, missed date or another verified cause. Review skipped older lots alongside weekly discarded units. A lower discard count is useful only if stock checks and safety decisions remain correct.
FIFO cannot make expired, contaminated or temperature-abused food acceptable. Follow the approved hold and disposition process for questionable stock; changing its label does not reset its history.
Reference resources
CDC Restaurant Date Marking · FDA Food Code model guidance
Educational guidance only; verify applicable laws and food-specific requirements before implementing procedures.