Goods Receiving Register for Restaurants: Free Template

The goods receiving register is a required HACCP document. It proves that every delivery entering your kitchen was inspected before it reached your refrigerators, dry storage, or prep areas. Without it, a Sanepid inspector has no evidence that you control incoming goods at all. This article explains what the register must contain, how to complete it correctly for every delivery, and what mistakes to avoid.

Why the Register Is Required

Under EU Regulation 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, food business operators must implement and maintain hygiene procedures based on HACCP principles. Goods receiving is either a Critical Control Point (CCP) or a prerequisite programme in your HACCP analysis, depending on the nature of your business and the products you handle. Either way, you must demonstrate control: that you measured, checked, and made a documented decision about every delivery.

The goods receiving register is your evidence. If a food safety incident is traced back to a contaminated batch of ingredients, the register shows when the delivery arrived, what condition it was in, what temperature it was measured at, and who accepted it. Without that record, you have no defence and no ability to conduct a meaningful corrective action. With it, you can identify the source, isolate affected stock, and demonstrate to the inspector that your system worked.

Minimum Fields in the Register

Your goods receiving register must capture the following information for every delivery:

1. Date and time of delivery: the actual time the delivery arrived, not the time you entered it into the register. These should be the same: the register should be completed at the point of receiving, not later.
2. Supplier name: the name of the supplier or delivery company, as it appears on the delivery documentation.
3. Goods description: the product name and quantity delivered. Be specific: "chicken breast, 10 kg" not "poultry".
4. Delivery temperature: the measured temperature, not an assumed one. Record both the measurement method (probe thermometer or infrared) and the reading. "Felt cold" is not a compliant record.
5. Expiry date or use-by date: the date shown on the product or packaging. For bulk deliveries, record the nearest expiry date in the batch.
6. Packaging condition: intact, damaged, frozen, thawed, or otherwise. Note any specific defects: torn vacuum seal, dented can, signs of leakage.
7. Decision: accepted, conditionally accepted (specify the condition and action), or rejected. Every delivery must result in one of these three outcomes, and it must be recorded.
8. Signature of the person accepting the delivery: the name or initials and signature of the food handler who conducted the inspection. This person is accountable for the decision recorded.
9. Notes: any deviations from the expected standard, corrective actions taken, and follow-up required. If you rejected a batch, note what happened to it: returned to supplier, disposed of, or quarantined pending investigation.

Step-by-Step Acceptance Procedure

The register is only as good as the procedure behind it - a pre-formatted register and the matching procedure come as part of a ready-made HACCP documentation package. Follow these steps for every delivery, in this sequence:

1. Check the delivery vehicle before unloading. Is it clean? Is it refrigerated where required? A vehicle carrying chilled meat that arrives at ambient temperature is grounds for rejection before any product is unloaded.
2. Check packaging before moving goods into your kitchen. Inspect for dents, tears, signs of pest activity, moisture damage, or anything that suggests the integrity of the product has been compromised. Do this check at the vehicle or loading bay, not after the goods have entered your kitchen.
3. Measure the core temperature of chilled goods before they leave the delivery vehicle. Use a calibrated probe thermometer. Insert the probe into the product or between packages for at least 30 seconds to get a stable reading. The reference temperatures are listed in the section below. Do not rely on the vehicle's temperature display or the driver's verbal assurance.
4. Check expiry and use-by dates. Confirm that dates are within acceptable range and that you have sufficient time to use the product before expiry within normal kitchen operations.
5. Complete the register entry before moving goods to storage. This is critical. The most common compliance failure in goods receiving is completing the register later, from memory or from estimates. The record must be contemporaneous.
6. If any parameter fails: reject the delivery or isolate the batch immediately. Note the reason for rejection and the corrective action taken in the register. Contact the supplier. Do not use the goods while the issue is unresolved.

Temperature Reference Table

Use this table when measuring delivered goods. These are the maximum acceptable temperatures at the point of receiving:

• Chilled meat (beef, pork, lamb): 0 to 4°C
• Chilled poultry: 0 to 4°C
• Chilled fish and seafood: 0 to 3°C
• Chilled dairy products: 0 to 6°C
• Frozen products: -18°C or below
• Ambient products: as specified on the label; check that they have been stored appropriately during transport and are not heat-damaged

Any reading above these thresholds is a deviation. Record the actual temperature measured, note it as a deviation, and apply a corrective action: rejection, quarantine, or escalation to your HACCP coordinator.

Expiry Dates and Packaging: What to Watch For

Accepting goods with damaged packaging is a food safety risk even when the temperature is correct. A torn vacuum seal on raw meat allows bacterial growth to accelerate. A dented can may have a compromised seal. Leaking packaging from one product can contaminate others during transport.

On expiry dates: accepting goods with less than 30% of their shelf life remaining is poor practice. A product with two days left before its use-by date arriving on a Friday afternoon is likely to become waste. Build this check into your procedure and note it in the register if you accept short-dated goods with a specific plan for their immediate use.

Common Mistakes That Inspectors Find

• Completing the register after goods have been stored: temperatures guessed or estimated after the fact are not compliant records. The register must be filled in at the point of receiving.
• Accepting deliveries from trusted suppliers without checking: a long-standing supplier relationship does not change the requirement to inspect and measure every delivery. Temperature failures happen with reliable suppliers too, often due to vehicle or equipment faults.
• No corrective action noted when goods were borderline: if you accepted a delivery where the temperature was at the upper limit, or the packaging was slightly damaged, this must be noted along with the decision rationale. A register with no entries in the notes column across dozens of deliveries is implausible and may be questioned.
• Illegible or missing signatures: the signature field confirms accountability. A register without signatures is not a compliant record.

Practical Tips for Day-to-Day Use

• Keep the register and a pen in the goods receiving area, not in the office. If the register is not physically present at the point of receiving, it will not be completed correctly.
• Use a probe thermometer with a daily calibration check: wipe the probe with an alcohol wipe before use, and verify it against a reference temperature if you have one. Note calibration checks in your equipment maintenance log.
• Photograph damaged packaging as additional evidence. A photo on your phone with a timestamp, stored alongside the register record, significantly strengthens your documentation in the event of a supplier dispute or inspection.
• If you use a digital system, ensure it produces a timestamped, tamper-evident record that can be printed for inspection.

For a full walkthrough of HACCP record-keeping across all required registers, see our guide at HACCP Book: How to Fill It In Step by Step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Must I check every delivery or can I spot-check?

Every delivery must be checked and recorded. Spot-checking is not compliant under HACCP principles, where goods receiving is a control point requiring documented verification for each batch. If your delivery volume makes full checking impractical, review your supplier schedule and receiving process: the answer is a more efficient procedure, not reduced coverage.

What temperature is acceptable for ambient goods?

Ambient goods do not have a specific temperature range requirement at receiving, but they must be inspected for packaging integrity, expiry dates, and signs of storage damage such as moisture, pest contact, or heat exposure. Record that the goods were ambient and in acceptable condition. If the label specifies a maximum storage temperature, verify that the delivery vehicle conditions were appropriate.

What do I do with a rejected delivery: do I need to document it?

Yes. A rejected delivery must be recorded in the register with the reason for rejection and the corrective action taken. The corrective action is typically: return to the supplier with a written note of the reason for rejection, or disposal with documentation. Do not simply send the driver away without recording the incident. You may need this documentation if the supplier disputes the rejection or if a related food safety issue arises later.

How long do I keep the register?

Polish food safety regulations and HACCP guidance generally require food safety records to be kept for a minimum of two years. Some categories of product, particularly those with extended shelf life or traceability requirements, may require longer retention. Check your specific HACCP plan for the retention period specified there, and ensure your records are stored in a way that keeps them legible and accessible.

Can I keep the register digitally?

Yes, digital records are acceptable provided they meet the same requirements as paper records: they must capture all required fields, be completed at the time of receiving, be signed or authenticated by the responsible person, and be accessible for inspection. Cloud-based systems with timestamped entries and user authentication are well suited to this. Ensure you can produce a printed copy on request from the inspector.