If someone had the key to saving your company thousands of dollars in food costs each year, would you like to know the secret?

Many assume the answer is comparing distributors and finding the best prices possible. Or purchasing in larger quantities or shopping at large discount stores for the most affordable supplies.

Actually, the products right inside your cooler or dry storage hold the key and a consistent food rotation program is the easiest, most obvious source of savings to a food operation.

Imagine the feeling when you get to the bottom of a case of lettuce and the last few heads are rotten and brown- this could represent an increased food cost of 18%.

Or discover that a vacuum-package of steak tips is bloated and bubbly beneath the surface and needs to be discarded-- the cost of that meat just doubled. Food spoilage and product loss contribute to increased food costs.

And bacterial growth, which is only retarded during refrigeration and not halted altogether, increases risk of foodborne illness, which can be costly to businesses on many levels.

• Closely follow "First in, First out" principles, to help ensure that foods are maintained at a fresh state and used before they have a chance to wilt or decline in quality.
• On delivery, store the newer products behind older ones that should be used first. You will avoid discovering a stash of spoiled or expired products tucked behind other foods, thus keeping your food costs in check.
• Label both refrigerated and dry products with their "Use-by" or "Expiration dates," using the oldest products first, to stay ahead of disease-causing or spoilage bacteria.

Food Rotation can also help you get a better sense of your actual product needs, reduce waste and lead to more cost-efficient ordering practices. The "secret" to food cost savings is right before your eyes!

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