Restaurant food expiry dates: FEFO, quarantine and waste reduction

Food inventory is more than quantity. Receiving date, use-by or best-before date, storage location and picking priority must be visible.

Record every receipt

Capture item, quantity, receiving date, expiry, supplier, document and location. Earlier-expiring stock should be accessible and checked at picking.

FIFO and FEFO

FIFO uses the oldest receipt first; FEFO uses the earliest expiry first. For food, actual expiry and opened status may matter more than receipt order.

Batches and opened products

Track lot number, supplier, document, expiry, quantity and location. For opened or prepared food, record the opened/preparation date, responsible person and approved internal use period.

Usable stock and quarantine

Near-expiry, damaged, suspect or decision-pending stock must not appear freely usable. Use statuses such as usable, near expiry, quarantine, supplier return and waste.

Alerts and action

Thresholds should reflect consumption speed, replacement lead time, shelf life and safety risk. Every alert needs an owner, action and deadline.

Count by status

Safe, near-expiry, quarantined and unusable quantities should be counted separately.

Root causes

Over-ordering, unsuitable pack size, poor layout, weak sales, menu changes and incorrect dates are common causes. Corrective action should match the cause.

Example

The newer of two batches expires first, so FEFO prioritises it. A damaged part of the older batch is quarantined and excluded from usable stock and purchase suggestions.

Conclusion

Receiving, storage, picking, counting and waste must connect in one traceable workflow.

What is the difference between FIFO and FEFO?

FIFO prioritises the oldest receipt; FEFO prioritises the batch that expires first.

Does quarantined stock count as usable inventory?

No. It should be separated until an authorised decision is recorded.

Which date applies to opened goods?

Keep the original date and also record the opened or prepared date and approved internal use limit.

Why count inventory by status?

Because total quantity can overstate what the kitchen can safely use.