MSCC Phase One
Food storage
HACCP and Food safety rules have become more and more stringent over the past few years. On most vessels, efforts are made to comply accordingly with the means provided. However, still we encounter galleys where good practices are not applied. Often this is due to lack of the right tools. The most common hazard depicted below.
This picture perfectly illustrates some examples:
A variety of galley equipment is used to store food. This equipment is now no longer available for its actual purpose.
Some items are covered with aluminum foil. As this doesn’t seal the items properly, it will cause cross-contamination.
Due to all different sizes of the used items, they are stacked higgledy-piggledy on top of one another, which will cause spillage from one item onto another while sailing.
The different sizes also make for an inadequate use of storage surface.
The inadequate use of the storage space results in a lack of overview, resulting in products and product groups getting mixed up.
The lack of overview often results in products that are double in use (e.g. the two open milk boxes), which eventually leads to extra waste (e.g. when one or both milk boxes turn sour.)
When no more equipment is available, items are simply wrapped in cling foil at best. Any fluids from these products will leak on the ones below.
None of the items can be identified blindly, nor is it clear how long they are already in the refrigerator.
This hazardous situation is unacceptable, will lead to remarks, fines and worst-case scenario, to detention of the whole vessel.
For this we offer a cost-efficient solution through the use of plastic food containers in different sizes. We have sourced a company that produces ice cream boxes in sizes 2,5 liter and 5 liter as pictured below.
These boxes are ideal because:
They are economically priced.
They are HACCP-approved.
They have a uniform lid that seals both sizes of boxes.
They are dishwasher-friendly.
They take maximum advantage of the storage surface.
They are perfectly suitable for crews of 20 and up towards storage volume.
As the picture also shows, these boxes can easily be labeled using a sharpy and masking tape. Masking tape is low-tac, will leave no residu to the plastic and again is economically priced.
For midsize vessels and up we recommend purchase of 100 containers of 2,5 liter and 60 containers of 5 liter. For vessels with smaller crews we recommend alternatives of 50 pieces of 1 liter and 40 pieces of 2 liter.
When applied correctly, these boxes will make for a hygienic and well-organized system with lots of overview and zero risk of spillage.
Labeling
Labeling all content in the refrigerator is essential to keep track of what you have inside. Most products have a storage limit and without proper labeling you will lose track. Labeling should be done as followed:
Ingrediënts and components: Item name and date of production in black
Leftovers: item name and date of recovery in red
when done right, now your refrigerator should look like this:
THESE RESULTS CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED AND CONSISTENTLY MAINTAINED IF ALL VESSELS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THESE BOXES!
it is important to store all goods in a decent way. If we do so, we can preserve our items quite well. Here some tips and storage limits in the refrigerator:
Refrigerator storage:
Fresh salad: after washing and drying, best stored losely. On the bottom of the storage box, add a dry towel or dry kitchen paper (in abundancy), and a damp kitchen paper on top before closing the box with a lid. Storage limit: maximum 3 days
Fresh herbs: after cutting best stored in a shallow layer, between damp kitchen paper before closing the box with a lid. Storage limit:
maximum 3 days
Raw eggs: best stored on top of a dry towel in a closed box. Storage limit: 14 days
Boiled eggs: best stored pealed on water or not pealed in a dry box. If pealed, replace the water every day. Water should be completely clear. Storage limit: maximum 4 days
Cut seedless vegetables: (leeks, selery, onions) dry storage straight into the box before washing, and cover with a lid. Storage limit before washing: maximum 4 days; storage limit after washing: 1 day
Uncut vegetables: clean up (remove leaves, which can be stored separately) and store without lid. Storage limit dry: maximum 4 days. If storage time limit is exceeded, it means you had your vegetables up way to soon.
Cut vegetables with seeds: (e.g. tomatoes, which technically is a fruit, but lets not go there): On the bottom of the storage box add a dry towel to absorb the juices. Even though these items are best cut on the same day, storage limit: maximum 2 days
Peeled raw potatoes: store under water in an open box. Don’t cover. Rinse the potatoes daily (if not used straight away) and add fresh water. Storage limit: maximum 3 days
Fresh meat and fish items: to be stored straight in the box, every service (breakfast, lunch and dinner) hemoglobine (liquid on the bottom of the box) should be removed. Same goes for cutlings. Maximum storage limit: 24 hours maximum
Freshly cut fruits: To be stored straight in the box, storage limit: maximum 2 days
Cheese and cold cuts: to be stored straight in the box, with layers of grease paper in between the layers. Don’t cut too much, don’t stack too much, this to avoid stickiness. Better to cut in two boxes if more quantity is necessary. Storage limit: maximum 4 days
This covers the most important product groups for correct storage in the refrigerators. Most of the above is common sense. However, when in doubt, contact the galley coach for further guidance.
Freezer storage
When adapting to Phase Two of the MSCC, you will soon feel the benefits of working in advance and stocking up on such things as soup, stock, basic sauces and stews in your freezers in the stores. As this is an essential element of MSCC Phase Two, it is important that we do this in the correct way:
Follow the cooldown procedure as described in MSCC Phase Two.
After reaching refrigerator temperature, move the box(es) to the designated freezer room in the stores.
Mark the Date of Storage (e.g. DOS: 18/08/2018) and store in your freezer room.
Note on your Freezer stock document the item and date of storage, so you can easily trace what you still have in stock.
Freezer storage is an ideal way to work in advance over a longer period of time. For sure it is not indefinite, but it has a lot of advantages, towards e.g. stormy weather, overload of visitors (e.g. dry dock operations), drills, etc. Besides this, of course it is nice to have something in store during the handover of the galley. This way, your replacement can start his tour without too much unnecessary stress. He will for sure appreciate it.
Of course, whenever you remove an item from the freezer room for consumption, some procedures need to be followed too:
Remove the items you need from the freezer preferably two days before you need them.
Allow them to defrost in one of the coldrooms.
Product to be used within 3 months of DOS.
After removal from the freezer room, mark the item as spend on your Freezer stock document, so you can keep track of your stock
Storage in the freezers also requires some common sense. Liquids expand when frozen, so don’t overfill the boxes.
NEVER PUT DEFROSTED INGREDIENTS BACK IN THE FREEZER AFTER DEFROSTING!! Only after cooking them fully may fish or meat be refrozen. Same goes for frozen vegetables. It is extremely dangerous to serve raw foods that have been frozen and defrosted more than once.
