Free templateAdministration

Food Delivery Checklist

A one-page receiving checklist for food deliveries — supplier and delivery details, rejected items, temperature readings for nine common foods, and a list of things to check for — so the kitchen has a record for public health inspections and supplier disputes.

Format: Printable PDF · US Letter
Pages: 1 (one sheet per delivery)
Best for: Cooks · kitchen staff
Updated: Sept 2026

Download free template See what’s inside

No sign-up required. Print it and share it with your team — it’s free for any child care program to use.

What’s inside

Temperatures, packaging and dates, checked at the door

Delivery detailsSupplier, date and time of delivery, and the staff member who received it.
Rejected itemsWhat was refused, the reason for rejection, and the actions taken.
Food temperaturesA line each for beef, chicken, lunch meat, milk, ice cream, cheeses, yogurt, sour cream and eggs.
Things to check forSeven tick boxes: signs of deterioration, damaged packaging, pests, thawing of frozen goods, swollen or dented cans, moisture stains on dried goods, and expiration and best-before dates.

How to use it

Four steps to put it to work this week

1
Check temperatures at the doorBefore anything goes in the fridge. Chilled under 4°C / 40°F, frozen at −18°C / 0°F or below. Write each reading on its line.
2
Work down the ‘Things to check for’ listReject damaged packaging or out-of-date stock, and write the item, reason and action in the rejected items section.
3
Store within 15 minutesChilled and frozen first, allergen items separated and labelled.
4
File with the invoicePublic health may ask to see receiving records; keep them together.

Tips from operators

What centers that use this well do differently

Learned the hard way across 3,000 child care spaces — and from the directors and educators who join our Lunch & Learns and Learning Labs.

Calibrate the probe thermometer monthly

An ice-water check takes a minute and keeps your readings defensible.

Photograph anything you reject

Suppliers credit rejected goods much faster with a photo attached to the checklist.

Colour-code allergen storage

A red shelf or bin for allergen items removes the guesswork for whoever puts the delivery away.

Do it digitally in ChildFriendly Pro

Custom checklists and forms, time-stamped and filed for inspection

Build any checklist or form once in ChildFriendly Pro, assign it to a room or role, and every completion is time-stamped, signed and filed in your inspection binder — ready for licensing or public health.