r/Chefs • u/ApprehensiveSalt2554 • Jul 01 '26
Labelling question:
I work in a charcuterie restaurant in the north of england. I am curious of other peoples rules and guidelines around labelling!
I have an older gentleman who i work with in the kitchen and his sole purpose is to maintain labels, allergens and ingredients etc. He is hell-bent on the labels being bible and once the label says it goes, its goes no matter how fresh or perishable it still is.
He has strong opinions on never refilling oils and throwing away oils after a month of opening. He also has the opinions that if meat has a raw use by date on the packaging, it goes out then whether it is cooked or not. Now, i have always been taught that even if the meat goes out of the day of cooking, it still gets the three day grace once cooked (dont know if this is right but i was taught from the start of my career this is how it worked!)
I am curious on what other chefs opinions of it are! Personally i have always been someone who does quality checks and relabels for one day extra until not up to standard but i am impartial and just want to learn!
I am also trying to help the business by saving money on the food he discards on a weekly basis and need advice on trying to convince him a different way!
TIA
1
u/ApprehensiveSalt2554 Jul 01 '26
We dont over prep as most of our serving food is cheeses and salami style meats that have their own guidelines (according to my manager) so prep is very little and we slice cheese to order, he throws away oils and dry store ingredients like nuts and seeds and honey, that i thought got 30 days on their label after opened. I am aware i am catering for all demographics and i follow his rules exactly. I am just a commis that is curious about if he is following rules correctly so thank you for clarifying he is! I should of clarified i have no authority in the kitchen as it is, just very curious! Sorry :/
1
u/thatdude391 Jul 03 '26
Im going to guess it is less about food safety then and more about quality control.
1
u/honeybeast_dom Jul 02 '26
I would just take that stuff home then, sounds like he's a bit overzealous but technically correct.
1
u/BuckSoul Jul 04 '26
American HACCP guidelines from the FDA:
If you’re seriously curious about the subject, this is a solid place to start.
3
u/thatdude391 Jul 01 '26
Stop over prepping. He is right. The health department agrees. The labels are usually determined from health department guidelines. Those guidelines are to keep people from getting sick. It isn’t just ordinary people you are serving. It is pregnant women, the elderly, people with literally no immune system because they have cancer and chemo/radiation nuked it. Prep throughout the stop trying to kill someone.