Food Purchasing and Cost Controls

Hours: 280 / Access Length: 12 Months / Delivery: Open, Mentor Supported
Retail Price: $2,795.00

Course Overview:

Food Service Purchasing combines the requisite information on foodservice purchasing and storeroom operations, along with financial stewardship. This comprehensive course brings the four most important foundations in foodservice purchasing in one course: market and distribution systems, storeroom operations, cost controls and comprehensive product information. In addition, this course covers present-day issues like theft and security, legal and regulatory compliance, and scientific applications like aquaculture and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Comprehend the basics of selection and procurement of food products
• Identify guidelines for organizing and storing food packages
• Identify the steps for controlling cost and quality
• Identify various food product types and factors related to their purchase and storing
• Identify various beverage product types and factors related to their purchase and storing

Food & Beverage Cost Control course provides a practical and comprehensive overview of cost control methods for the food service industry and how they can be profitably applied. This course establishes useful guidelines for assessing, interpreting, and planning food and beverage operations. Important financial information is presented to assist readers in achieving their goals of minimizing expenditures and maximizing profits. This course covers unique topics such as “make or buy” decisions, inventory control, forecasting, and departmental interaction that give this course a richness and relevance students will profit from professionally for years to come.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Comprehend the basics of the food service industry
• Define the relationship between cost and value
• Identify the standards for beverage purchasing and storage
• Identify the steps for performing food cost calculations
• Identify the steps to analyze cost-volume-profit relationships

Course Outline:

Food Service Purchasing Module 1
Procurement: Dynamics of Food Service Purchasing

• The Goals of Selection & Procurement
• Establishing Purchasing Options & Contracts
• Buyer – Seller Relations
• Market & Distribution Systems 
• U.S. Code, Federal Agencies, & Food Laws
• Availability & Consistency
• Practicality & Suitability
• Healthful Considerations
• Ethical & Ecological Considerations
• Social, Economic, & Cultural Influences
• Ethics & Food in Modern Society
• Advancements in Food Science & Technology

Food Service Purchasing Module 2
Purchasing Management

• The Advantages of food Preservation
• The Need for measuring
• Commercial Packaging Options
• The Ingredient Process
• Planning the Menu & Recipe Development
• Identifying Product Needs
• Product Evaluation & Selection
• The Storeroom as Service Provider
• Organization of Staffing
• Organization of Facilities
• Refrigerated Storage
• Storeroom Layouts
• Storeroom Sanitation

Food Service Purchasing Module 3
Cost Control Measures

• The Receiving Process
• The Storing Process
• The Issuing Process
• Cost Control Measures
• The Importance of Control Systems
• The Importance of Quality Standards
• Evaluating Performance Using Financial Statements
• Controlling Inventory
• Break-Even Analysis
• Supplier Error & Dishonesty
• Employee Error & Dishonesty
• Preventing Tampering

Food Service Purchasing Module 4
Developing Product Knowledge: Spices, Baking, Meat & Poultry

• Product Identification
• Herbs & Spices
• Minerals & Types of Salts
• Flavoring Agents
• Basic Baking Ingredients
• Thickening, Binding, & Leaving Agents
• Fats & Sweeteners
• Meats: Buying & Storing
• Offal (Variety Meats)
• Poultry: Buying & Storing
• Feather Game Meat
• Furred Game Meat

Food Service Purchasing Module 5
Developing Product Knowledge: Fish, Fruits & Vegetables

• Harvesting Seafood
• Buying, Storing & Packaging Seafood
• Caviar & Fish
• Crustaceans & Mollusks
• Smoked Seafood
• Fruits: Buying & Storing
• Berries, Melons & Grapes
• Citrus Fruits
• Stone & Pome Fruits
• Leaf Vegetables
• Bulb, Root & Tuberous Vegetables
• Flowers & Stem Vegetables
• Podded & Seed Vegetables

Food Service Purchasing Module 6
Developing Product Knowledge: Eggs, Dairy, Vegetarian & Beverages

• Eggs & Dairy
• Butter & Cheese
• Vegetarian Foods
• Special Dietary Products
• Beverages
• Coffee & Tea
• Alcoholic & Nonalcoholic Beverages
• Food Philanthropy
• The Greening of Food Service
• Future Food
• Food Service Equipment
• Legislation & Global Ethics

Food & Beverage Cost Control Module 1
Overview of the Industry

• The Food Service Industry
• The Role of the Food & Beverage Manager
• Cost-effective Initiatives
• Inventory Management & Valuation
• Menu Development
• Customer and Competition Knowledge
• Menu Planning & Type
• Menu Nutrition & Design
• Saving Money
• The Responsibility of the Purchasing Agent
• Legal Issues and Contracts
• Technology in the Purchasing Department

Food & Beverage Cost Control Module 2
Purchasing Standards

• Purchase Specifications
• Product Information
• Quality Specification and Product Testing
• Quantity Specifications
• Price and the Vendor
• Market Basket Analysis
• The Relationship Between Price & Value
• Type of Pricing Arrangements
• Vendor Selection
• Purchasing Controls
• Receiving Controls
• Storeroom Procedures

Food & Beverage Cost Control Module 3
Beverage Standards

• Introduction to Beverages
• Beverage Basics
• The History of Beverages
• Pricing and the Clientele
• Beverage Procedures
• Purchasing Beverages
• Receiving & Storing Beverages
• Proper Beverage Requisition Procedures
• Beverage Controls & Service Procedures
• Portion Size Control (PSC)
• Standard Drink Recipes (SDRs)
• Banquet Beverage Storeroom Procedures
• Beverage Cost Variance

Food & Beverage Cost Control Module 4
Cost Control Standards

• Planning for Food Profit & Control
• Food Profitability
• Targeted Ideal Cost
• Actual Food Cost
• Monthly Physical Inventory
• Monthly Food Cost Calculations
• Inventory Valuation Methods
• Inventory Turnover Ratio
• Revenue & Cash Handling Control
• Guest Check Controls
• Cash Handling Controls
• Menu Analysis & Planning for Sales
• Strategies for Menu Pricing
• Menu Engineering

Food & Beverage Cost Control Module 5
Staffing, Analyzing & ROI

• Salary and Wages
• Rules & Regulations Governing Labor Costs
• Employee Benefits & Deductions
• The Payroll System
• Labor Cost Standards
• Analyzing Cost-Volume-Profit (CVP) Relationships
• Marginal Contribution Break-Even (MCB)
• MCB Applied to Uncertainty
• Forecasting & Budget Preparation
• Approaches to Budgeting
• Choosing a Budget Type
• Management Performance Review Using ROI
• Application of ROI

All necessary materials are included.

System Requirements:

• Cable and DSL internet connections are recommended for the best experience.

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 2 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone (Webinar / Live Online sessions)

• Microsoft Windows 7 or 10 (Home, Pro)
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is denoted in the above course outline.