Checklist template

Produce department operations for grocery stores

A ready-to-use checklist with 112 items in 6 sections, covering Quality and culling, Rotation, Wet rack, Displays, Back room, Shrink. Use it as-is in InspectLoop, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 112 Items
  • 95 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 125 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Quality and culling 19 items

  1. The whole department was culled before the store opened Yes / No 1 pt
  2. An employee was seen culling during the visit, or the last cull was within the interval set by company standard Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The cull checklist is initialed for every cull time that has passed today Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Berry clamshells show no mold and no juice staining on the pad Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Bagged salads show no browning, slime or liquid pooling in the bag Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Bananas on display are at the color stage set by company standard, with no split or blackened fruit Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Tomatoes are firm, with no wrinkled skin, soft spots or stem mold Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Leaf lettuce and bunched greens are crisp, with no wilted or yellowed outer leaves Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Potatoes on display show no greening or sprouting Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Onions and garlic are dry, with no soft necks or black mold Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Apples, pears and citrus are free of bruises, punctures and soft spots Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Ripe avocados are separated from hard fruit and identified as ready to eat Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Mushrooms are dry and firm, with no dark or slimy caps Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Bagged potatoes, onions and citrus have been turned over to check for a spoiled piece hidden in the bag Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Grapes are full on the stem, with no shatter, mold or loose fruit collecting in the bag Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Culled product goes straight into a marked cull tote, not onto the floor or the stocking cart Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Two employees asked could describe the company's cull standard for an item they were working Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Number of unsaleable pieces found on display during a 10-minute walk of the department Number
  19. Freshness of the product on display Rating
    • Fresh throughout 5 pts
    • A few items need culling 3 pts
    • Widespread poor quality 1 pt

2. Rotation 17 items

  1. On refill, older product is lifted out and placed back on top or in front of the new product Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Displays are worked down and rebuilt rather than having new cases dumped over old product Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Every case in the produce cooler is marked with the day it was received Yes / No 1 pt
  4. In the cooler, the oldest cases of each item are stacked where they will be taken first Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Product carried over from the previous day is put out before a new case is opened Yes / No 1 pt
  6. No packaged salad, fresh-cut item or juice on display is past its best-before date Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Number of out-of-date packaged produce items found on display Number
  8. Packaged salads are pulled or reduced the number of days before the date that company policy sets Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Fruit and vegetables cut in the store carry a pack date and a sell-by date Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Store-cut fruit on display is within the shelf life on the company chart Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The weekly date check of refrigerated dressings, dips and tofu in the produce cases is initialed for this week Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Greener bananas are held back or placed beneath riper fruit so the ripest sell first Yes / No 1 pt
  13. No specialty or tropical item on display is shriveled, moldy or leaking Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Bulk nut and dried fruit bins are emptied before refilling instead of being topped up Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Organic items are never mixed into a conventional display to use them up Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Age of the oldest case found in the produce cooler (days since received) Number
  17. Rotation practice observed during a refill Rating
    • Old product brought forward every time 5 pts
    • Inconsistent 3 pts
    • New product placed over old 1 pt

3. Wet rack 18 items

  1. Every misting nozzle on the wet rack sprays, with no blocked or dripping nozzles Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The misting cycle runs at the interval and duration set by company standard Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Misting nozzles and the spray bar are free of scale and slime Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The misting system maintenance log is kept in the department and is up to date Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Date of the last misting system filter change or sanitizing Date
  6. The wet rack is at the temperature set by company standard Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Wet rack air temperature (°F or °C) Number
  8. Greens are trimmed, crisped in cool water and drained before they go on the rack Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Butt ends of lettuce, celery and bunched greens are freshly trimmed, with no browning Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Twist ties, bands and PLU tags are intact and face the customer Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Items that should stay dry, such as mushrooms, berries, garlic and bagged product, are outside the mist pattern Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Organic items on the wet rack are separated from conventional items by a divider, or placed so runoff cannot reach them Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Rack liners and matting are free of decayed leaves and algae Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The case drain is clear, with no standing water in the bottom of the wet rack Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The cleaning log shows the wet rack was stripped and washed on the schedule set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The floor in front of the wet rack is dry Yes / No 1 pt
  17. A non-slip mat lies flat in front of the wet rack Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Appearance of the wet rack Rating
    • Full, crisp and colorful 5 pts
    • Some gaps or tired product 3 pts
    • Wilted, sparse or dirty 1 pt

4. Displays 20 items

  1. Tables and bins look full and level, with no bare display bottom showing Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Soft fruit such as peaches, tomatoes and avocados is stacked no more than two layers deep Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Every item has a sign showing its price and unit of sale (each, per lb or per kg) Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Number of produce items without a price sign Number
  5. Country or place of origin is shown for each item as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Organic items are identified by a sign and by a PLU sticker, band or tie that the cashier can see Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Advertised items are in the location given in the weekly merchandising plan and carry the ad sign Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Displays are refilled before they fall below half full, as seen during the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Three PLU codes checked at a register rang at the price on the produce sign Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The refill cart is loaded from a walk of the displays, so only product that fits on the display leaves the cooler Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Fresh-cut fruit and bagged salads are displayed only in refrigerated cases, never on dry tables Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Customer scales are level and read zero when empty Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Produce bag dispensers are filled at every table run and at the wet rack Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Signs for items that are sold out or out of season have been taken down Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Empty boxes, cull totes and stock carts are off the sales floor outside refill times Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Tie-in items in the department, such as dressings, croutons and caramel dip, are filled and priced Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The floor around tables and under the grape and cherry displays is free of dropped fruit, leaves and water Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Bulk bins have closed lids and tethered scoops Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Each bulk bin has a label showing the PLU and the allergen statement Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Displays compared with the merchandising plan Rating
    • Match the plan 5 pts
    • Minor differences 3 pts
    • Plan not followed 1 pt

5. Back room 17 items

  1. The produce cooler is at the temperature set by company standard Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Produce cooler temperature (°F or °C) Number
  3. Bananas, tomatoes, potatoes and onions are held outside the cooler in the area set aside for them Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Cases are on pallets, racks or dunnage at least 6 in (15 cm) off the floor Yes / No 1 pt
  5. No cases are stacked in front of the cooler evaporator fans Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Organic cases are stored above or apart from conventional cases in the cooler Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The produce prep sink is used only for produce Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The prep sink is sanitized before greens are crisped Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Knives and cutting boards used for fresh-cut fruit are washed, rinsed and sanitized between products Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The sanitizer log at the prep area shows a test strip reading for today Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Trim barrels are lined and emptied at least once a day Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Orders are written from a count of the cooler and the sales floor, using the order guide Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Back stock is within the number of days of supply set by company standard Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The cooler floor is free of standing water, loose leaves and broken cases Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The cooler door closes fully and the strip curtain has no missing strips Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Reusable plastic containers are stacked, rinsed where soiled, and staged for return Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Organization of the produce cooler and prep area Rating
    • Organized and clean 5 pts
    • Clean but stock out of place 3 pts
    • Disorganized or dirty 1 pt

6. Shrink 21 items

  1. All discarded produce is scanned or logged as shrink before it goes to the organics bin or the trash Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Shrink records show the item and the reason, such as decay, damage or out of date Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The produce manager reviews the top shrink items every week and could name them when asked Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Produce shrink for the last period (% of department sales) Number
  5. Produce shrink target (%) Number
  6. Ripe or blemished product that is still wholesome is bagged and reduced at the time of day set by the markdown policy Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Reduced produce is sold from one designated rack or case with reduced-price labels Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Nothing on the reduced rack shows mold or decay Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Where the store has a food donation partner, edible unsaleable produce is set aside for it and not discarded Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Donation pickup records for the last 30 days are kept at the store Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Inedible produce goes to the organics, compost or animal feed program where the store has one Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Credits are claimed with photos for product that arrived in poor condition, following the supplier procedure Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Produce transferred to other departments, such as the deli or juice bar, is recorded as a transfer Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Whole fruit cut in the store for fresh-cut packs, such as watermelon and pineapple, is recorded as a transfer to the fresh-cut item Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Store-packed items sold by weight show a net weight that excludes the container Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Order quantities for the top shrink items were adjusted after the last review Yes / No 1 pt
  17. A manager looks through the cull totes before disposal to catch saleable product Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Period-end inventory of the department is counted by the produce manager with a second person Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Control of produce shrink Rating
    • Recorded, reviewed and acted on 5 pts
    • Recorded but not acted on 3 pts
    • Not recorded 1 pt
  20. Name of the produce manager or person in charge Short text
  21. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the InspectLoop template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In InspectLoop you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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