A delivery note, a signature and an invoice describe a shipment or its acknowledgement. They do not by themselves establish what is approved for use. Receiving links the physical delivery to an evidenced decision before quantities become available to the kitchen.
This guide covers that decision and its traceability: one base unit per line, a physical count, evidence references, and an explicit accepted, held or rejected status for every unit. It does not cover supplier selection or periodic supplier performance. The figures are an original fictional example, not a benchmark.
Define the order line before the delivery arrives
Each order line needs a stable reference that links the purchase order, the item and the agreed pack size. Choose one base unit for the line, such as a tin, a bottle or a sealed pack, and record how many base units the agreed case holds. Counting in that unit is what keeps the later arithmetic honest.
Never add cases to units, or kilograms to packs, in the same total. If an item is supplied by variable weight, do not pretend each case holds a fixed number; record the actual received quantity in the unit your site has agreed for that item. When the pack size on the delivery differs from the agreed one, record it as a discrepancy rather than guessing a conversion.
Count, check and reference the evidence
Record what physically arrives separately from what the paperwork lists, then convert cases to base units at the verified fixed pack size. Carry out only the receiving checks your site has approved for that item, as defined by your current controls, trained staff and responsible authority. This guide does not set those checks or their limits.
Record the actual check result and where its supporting evidence lives. A delivery note number, a lot or batch code, a photo reference or a check-sheet entry is enough for a shared register. Keep supplier account credentials, payment details and any customer information out of the workbook entirely.
Every received unit gets one decision
Each received unit should end in exactly one of three states. Accepted means the responsible person has decided it can enter stock under current controls. Held means it is on site but awaiting an authorised assessment; it is kept apart, labelled and not available for use. Rejected means it will not enter stock, with the reason recorded and the item returned or kept apart according to site procedure.
Accepted, held and rejected must add up to the units received. If they do not, the record is incomplete, not slightly wrong. A quantity match, a signature on the delivery note or an invoice that agrees with the count is not acceptance: the decision is a separate act by someone with the authority to make it.
Worked example: one order line
In this fictional line, a site ordered 20 cases of a canned item at an agreed 6 units per case, or 120 units. The delivery contained 19 cases, which is 114 units. After the site's own checks, the responsible person accepted 108 units and held 6 pending an authorised assessment; none were rejected. Because 108 + 6 + 0 = 114, the decision reconciles with what arrived.
The delivery shortfall is 120 − 114 = 6 units. It is tempting to say that 120 − 108 = 12 units are missing, but that figure mixes two different things: 6 units never arrived and 6 units are on site but held. Only the 108 accepted units enter available stock. The arithmetic shows what was counted and decided; it does not decide whether anything is safe or acceptable.
| Order line (fictional) | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ordered | 20 cases × 6 = 120 units | Agreed fixed pack size |
| Physically received | 19 cases × 6 = 114 units | Physical count at the stated pack size |
| Accepted | 108 units | Enters available stock |
| Held | 6 units | Kept apart; awaiting authorised assessment |
| Rejected | 0 units | None on this receipt |
| Decision check | 108 + 6 + 0 = 114 | Reconciles with units received |
| Delivery shortfall | 120 − 114 = 6 units | Not delivered |
| Ordered minus accepted | 120 − 108 = 12 units | 6 absent + 6 held, not 12 undelivered |
Held stock, late deliveries and invoice claims
If the 6 held units are later released, change the status of that receipt and record who authorised the release, when and on what basis. Do not delete the original held entry: the history should show both the hold and the release. The same applies if they are later rejected.
If the missing 6 units arrive later, record a new receipt event linked to the original order line. Do not overwrite the first receipt to make it look complete. Track any credit, short-delivery claim or invoice correction separately from stock admission; a credit note settles money, not whether goods can be used.
When more arrives than was ordered
Sometimes received exceeds ordered. Record the overdelivery as its own figure rather than letting it offset a shortfall on another line, and make the same accepted, held or rejected decision for every unit. Whether to keep surplus is a purchasing question; whether it can enter stock is a receiving one.
Where the principles come from
Older voluntary FSSAI guidance for the catering sector, first edition October 2017, describes incoming food in general terms: confirm materials against documented specifications using evidence such as inspection and supplier documentation, keep records of dates, descriptions, quantities and sources, and keep rejected items apart with recorded reasons. This guide uses only those general principles. It is not current law, it does not restate the document's checks, and it does not replace your current approved site controls or the judgement of your responsible trained authority.
Put it into practice
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Delivery receiving and discrepancy record
The Delivery Receiving worksheet converts ordered and received cases to base units at a stated fixed pack size, reconciles accepted, held and rejected units against units received, and shows delivery shortfall and any overdelivery separately. Missing, text, negative or fractional whole-unit counts block the results. It also holds a manual register of order line, lot reference, evidence reference and decision, plus a discrepancy and follow-up record.
Open the Delivery Receiving tab in the launch workbook. Keep a copy for your own business.
Download the free workbook See what’s inside the toolkit →Sources & further reading
- Guidance Document: Catering Sector (FSSAI) ↗
First edition, October 2017; retrieved 7 November 2026; section 2.1. Older voluntary guidance used only for general incoming specification, evidence, record and discrepancy principles. Not current law; its checks and limits are not restated.
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