CHAPTER 9 FOOD PURCHASING Food Specifications A Food Purchasing System The Purchasing Cycle Food...

CHAPTER 9 FOOD PURCHASING

• Food Specifications• A Food Purchasing System• The Purchasing Cycle• Food Quality Standards• Buying by Specification• Par Stocks & Reorder Points• Types of Purchasing

FOOD SPECIFICATIONS

• Written standards for food (food specifications) are set before a restaurant opens.

• The amounts to purchase are based on a forecast of sales.

• When in operation, par stocks (the reasonable amount to have on hand) & reorder points (the stock points that indicate more should be ordered) are established.

STEPS IN A PURCHASING SYSTEM

• Determine the quality of food standards required to serve the market.

• Develop product specifications.• Gather product-availability

information.• Have alternate suppliers in

mind.• Select a person to order and

receive supplies.

STEPS IN A PURCHASING SYSTEM

• Set up storage space for maximum utilization.

• Establish the amount needed to be stocked- par stock – each item.

• Set up inventory system.• Decide on optimal delivery size to

reduce cost of delivery & handling.• Check all inventories for quality and

quantity/weight.• Tie inventory control and cost control

system together.

THE PURCHASING CYCLE

• A purchasing cycle can be set up that rolls along efficiently, a system that repeats itself day after day with minimal demands on the operator.

• Product specifications need only be reviewed, not reset, each time food is ordered.

• Par stock and reorder points are relatively fixed & changed only as sales volume changes appreciably or as the menu changes.

• Major suppliers are changed infrequently.

Productspecification

Par stock and reorder points

Selection of supplier

Order placement

Receiving &storage

Issuing

The PurchasingCycle

FOOD QUALITY STANDARDS

• Standards for food quality are set to serve a particular market: – Some operators

serve fresh fish only, never frozen.

– Some restaurants use only fresh vegetables.

BUYING BY SPECIFICATION

• Each operation needs a quality of food that fits its market.

• The quality needed varies with the market and also with the food item being produced. – Canned vegetables used in a

made-up dish need not be of fancy grade.

– Meat for grinding into hamburger may well come from U.S. good or even lower-graded meat and still be satisfactory.

PAR STOCK & REORDER POINTS

• Based on quantity used, storage space available & availability of the product.

• Fast moving items require more stock.

• The operator with a fixed menu has an advantage in buying.– Preparation of entrées can

be done in terms of prepared items (i.e. so many trays stored under refrigeration).

PURCHASING:

• Full-line purveyors: – Carry a large line of supplies– Offer more one stop shopping– Saves time– Simplified billing

• Co-op Buying– Supplies products at cost, plus enough of

a markup to cover the cooperative’s cost.– Nonprofit– Lower cost than profit

PURCHASING MEAT

• Principal factors in meat buying are:– The cut of the meat:

What part of the animal?

– The USDA grade of the meat: Fat content, tenderness & cost.

– The style/form: Carcass, wholesale cut, or ready-to-serve portion.

PURCHASING FRESH FRUITS & VEGTABLES:

• Select freshly picked, mature items and use them as quickly as possible.

• Handle them as little as possible.• Distinguish blemishes that affect

appearance & those that affect quality.

• Check on maturity.• Avoid those that are over ripe or

show decay.• Be conscious of size & count.• Know sizes of containers & check

on their contents.

USDA WHOLESALE PRODUCE GRADES:

• U.S. Fancy: Applies to highly specialized produce- Rarely used.

• U.S. No. 1: Most widely used in trading produce from farm to market.

• U.S. Commercial: This grade applies to produce inferior to U.S. No. 1 but superior to U.S. No. 2.

• U.S. Combination: Combines percentages of U.S. No. 1 and U.S. No. 2.

• U.S. No. 2: Usually considered the lowest quality practical to ship- Poorer appearance and more waste than U.S. No. 1.

• U.S. No. 3: Produce used for highly specialized products.

CANNED FRUITS & VEGTABLES

• Standards are FDA concerns.• Labeling of ingredients are required

on most items.• Container must have ingredients

listed in descending order by weight (some are mostly filler).

• Operators that frequently use canned items perform can cutting tests after picking season.

• Less expensive products may turn out to be superior.

SELECTING THE RIGHT COFFEE

• People tend to like the coffee with which they grew up.

• Widely traveled people often prefer stronger coffee.

• Coffee served in restaurants is a blend.• Most predominate is mountain grown.• Generally coffees are divided into two types:

– Robust, heavier flavored.– Mountain grown, lighter, milder.

• Coffee vendors often supply the restaurant operator with a coffee-making machine on a no-cost lease basis provided the operator agrees to buy all of his or her coffee from the vendor.

The End

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.