What is the proper way to rotate canned goods?

Label with date and use oldest first

Arrange by can size to save space

Stack them in any order that fits

What is the proper way to rotate food in dry storage areas?

Use FEFO method and check expiration dates

Rotate weekly regardless of dates

What information must be included on prepared food labels?

The prep date and the cook's initials

The food name and the cook's initials

The supplier's name and the price

Concept · under Storage, labeling and rotation

First in, first out, and the 7-day date mark

FIFO means first in, first out: older stock gets used before the newer stock behind it. Date marking is the hard stop on top of that. Ready-to-eat TCS (time/temperature control for safety) food made in house and kept more than 24 hours gets a mark, and at 41°F (5°C) or below it has 7 days, with the prep day counted as day 1.

ExamPFH
Questions here6
UpdatedOct 14, 2026

On this page 5 sections

FIFO, FEFO and the date mark
A 7-day mark, counted out
Where the count gets less obvious
Count the days
Sources

FIFO, FEFO and the date mark

Two rotation habits and one Food Code rule (FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.17)
Point	FIFO	FEFO	Date marking
Short for	First in, first out	First expired, first out	Section 3-501.17 of the Food Code
What sets the order	When it arrived or was made	The date printed on the package	It sets a last day, not an order
Where it shows up	Every shelf, cold or dry	Packaged goods with printed dates	Ready-to-eat TCS food made or opened in house, kept over 24 hours
What it prevents	Old stock hiding at the back	A short-dated item outliving its date	Cold food held long enough for slow growers to build up

A 7-day mark, counted out

Thursday, day 1
Cooked, cooled, marked
A batch of pulled pork comes out of the cooling pans and into the walk-in. The prep day counts, so the mark goes on today.
Friday to Tuesday, days 2–6
Held at 41°F or below
New batches go behind it. The oldest pan is the one that gets opened.
Wednesday, day 7
Last day
Served, sold or thrown out by close.
Thursday, day 8
Out
Still in the walk-in a week after it was made? It goes in the trash, however it looks.

Where the count gets less obvious

The 24-hour line matters. Ready-to-eat TCS food that's made and used within a day needs no date mark under the code. Keep it past that and the mark becomes required (FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.17(A)).

A factory-sealed item starts its own count when you open it. Open a tub of hummus on Saturday and Saturday is day 1. The date you mark can't run past the maker's use-by date when that date is about safety (3-501.17(B)).

The mark has to show the day or date by which the food is eaten, sold or discarded. Kitchens do it with day dots, tape or printed labels; the code cares that it's clear.

None of this replaces storage order on the shelf, covered on food storage, or the reason the food needs a mark in the first place: it's TCS food.

Count the days

Count on your fingers if it helps. The prep day counts.

Each question is a chit, an order ticket. Answer it and it flips to show why every option is right or wrong.

0 right · 0 missed · 6 to go

No. 01
What does FIFO stand for in food storage?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 01
1. A
  Food Items Frequently Ordered This is a made-up phrase; FIFO is about rotating stock, not what gets ordered most.
2. B
  First In, First Out Correct: First In, First Out means older stock is used before newer stock, so food is used before it expires.
3. C
  Final Inspection For Output There's no inspection step behind FIFO, which describes stock rotation.
4. D
  Fresh Items First Out Close, but freshness isn't the idea; the oldest items go out first so nothing sits past its date.
More notes below ↓
No. 02
What is the proper way to rotate canned goods?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 02
1. A
  Arrange by can size to save space Sorting by size may look tidy, but it doesn't keep older cans moving first.
2. B
  Use the newest cans first Using the newest first leaves older cans sitting until they expire.
3. C
  Label with date and use oldest first Correct: Dating cans on arrival and putting new stock behind old means the oldest cans get used first.
4. D
  Stack them in any order that fits Random stacking means some cans never get used and pass their dates.
More notes below ↓
No. 03
What is the proper way to rotate food in dry storage areas?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 03
1. A
  Use delivery dates only Delivery dates help, but items from different deliveries can expire in a different order, so check the actual dates.
2. B
  Use FEFO method and check expiration dates Correct: First-expired, first-out uses the stock with the earliest use-by date first and works with FIFO when dates match.
3. C
  Rotate weekly regardless of dates Rotating on a weekly schedule regardless of dates can still leave old stock in back.
4. D
  Place new items in front New items go behind older ones; placing them in front leaves older stock to expire.
More notes below ↓
No. 04
How long can prepared cold salads be held at 41°F (5°C)?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 04
1. A
  7 days Correct: Ready-to-eat TCS food made in-house and held at 41°F or below is used or discarded within 7 days, counting prep day as day 1.
2. B
  10 days Ten days is past the 7-day limit for food held at 41°F.
3. C
  14 days Fourteen days is twice the limit, and Listeria can keep growing even under refrigeration.
4. D
  3 days Three days is safe but stricter than needed; the maximum at 41°F is 7 days.
More notes below ↓
No. 05
What information must be included on prepared food labels?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 05
1. A
  The prep date and the cook's initials A prep date and initials don't say what's in the container, and ready-to-eat TCS food still needs a use-by date.
2. B
  The food name and use-by date Correct: Food out of its original package needs its common name, and ready-to-eat TCS food kept over 24 hours needs a use-by date, 7 days at most.
3. C
  The food name and the cook's initials A name and initials tell you what it is and who made it, but not when a ready-to-eat TCS food has to go.
4. D
  The supplier's name and the price Supplier and price are purchasing details; they say nothing about what the food is or when to toss it.
More notes below ↓
No. 06
A cook makes chicken salad on Monday morning and holds it at 41°F. Under the 7-day date-marking rule, what is the last day it may be served?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 06
1. A
  Saturday of the same week Saturday is only day 6, so tossing it then wastes a day.
2. B
  Monday of the next week Next Monday is day 8, one day past the limit, because Monday prep counts as day 1.
3. C
  Sunday of the same week Correct: Monday is day 1, so day 7 is Sunday, the last day it may be served.
4. D
  Tuesday of the next week Tuesday is day 9, two days past the 7-day limit.
More notes below ↓

Sources

FDA Food Code 2022 — 3-501.17 date marking, (A) day of preparation is day 1, (B) opened commercial containers, (C) combined foods checked Oct 13, 2026