FIFO stands for First In, First Out - you use the oldest products first. This prevents food waste and keeps your ingredients fresh. Many restaurants lose hundreds of euros per month because they don't have a FIFO system.
What is FIFO and why is it important?
FIFO means you always use the oldest stock first. In practice: new deliveries in the back, old stuff in the front. This way you prevent ingredients from spoiling before you use them.
💡 Example:
You bought 5 kg of ground meat on Tuesday (good until Friday). On Thursday you get a new delivery of 5 kg of ground meat (good until Sunday). With FIFO you use the ground meat from Tuesday first.
Without FIFO: €45 in spoiled meat per week
How do you recognize a bad inventory system?
Signs that you need to implement FIFO:
- Regularly spoiled products in the trash
- Ingredients you 'forget' at the back of the cooler
- High purchasing costs but low inventory turnover
- Chef who says: "I don't know what's in here"
⚠️ Watch out:
Food waste costs the average kitchen 5-15% of total purchases. With €10,000 in purchases per month, you lose €500-1,500 to spoiled products.
Organizing FIFO in the cooler
The basis of FIFO is a logical layout of your cooler space:
- New delivery: Always place in the back
- Old stock: Move to the front
- Labels: Date of receipt on every package
- Overview: Oldest products at eye level
💡 Example cooler layout:
Meat shelf - from left to right:
- Monday delivery (use first)
- Wednesday delivery (use next)
- Friday delivery (use last)
This way you see at a glance what needs to be used
Digital support for FIFO
Manual FIFO works, but a digital system helps with keeping track. You can monitor:
- Receipt dates of deliveries
- Expiration dates per product
- Which products are expiring soon
- Inventory turnover per ingredient
An app like KitchenNmbrs can help you keep track of this without stacks of paper. But the discipline to follow the system stays with you and your team.
FIFO for different product groups
💡 Example per product group:
- Meat/fish: 1-3 days shelf life, check daily
- Dairy: 5-7 days, rotate weekly
- Vegetables: 3-10 days, depending on type
- Dry goods: Months shelf life, check monthly
Costs of poor inventory rotation
Without a FIFO system you lose money in three ways:
- Direct loss: Spoiled products in the trash
- Quality loss: Old ingredients taste worse
- Overbooking: New purchases while you still have stock
⚠️ Watch out:
A restaurant with €8,000 in monthly purchases and 10% waste loses €9,600 per year to spoiled products. FIFO can cut this in half.
Implementing a FIFO system (step by step)
Label all existing inventory
Put the date you received the product on every package. Use waterproof stickers or markers. Start with products that spoil fastest: meat, fish, dairy.
Organize your cooler space logically
Create a fixed spot for each product group. Oldest products always in front or on the left, new deliveries in back or on the right. Make sure everyone on your team knows where everything goes.
Train your team in the FIFO routine
Explain why FIFO is important and how it works. Make agreements about who is responsible for labeling new deliveries and checking expiration dates.
Check daily what's expiring soon
Every morning spend 5 minutes checking which products need to be used today or tomorrow. Add these to the daily menu or use them for staff meals. Never throw away what can still be used.
✨ Pro tip
Start FIFO with your 5 most expensive ingredients. If you only properly rotate meat, fish, and dairy, you'll already prevent 80% of your food waste.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to implement FIFO?
The initial setup takes about 2-3 hours to label and organize everything. After that it's 5-10 minutes of daily maintenance. After 2 weeks it becomes routine for your team.
What if my team doesn't follow FIFO consistently?
Make it part of the daily routine. Assign one person as responsible for inventory checks. Explain that waste directly impacts the profitability of the business.
Can I also apply FIFO to dry goods?
Yes, dry goods like flour, rice, and canned items also have expiration dates. Check these monthly and rotate here too - old to the front, new to the back.
Do I need to buy special labels for FIFO?
No, regular waterproof stickers or a marker is enough. Write the receipt date on it. Some kitchens use color codes by day of the week for quick recognition.
How do I measure the success of my FIFO system?
Keep track of how much you throw away per week before implementing FIFO, and compare it after a month. A good FIFO system usually cuts your food waste in half.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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