Purchasing is ver important activity, because the quality and cost of materials at the time of

purchase largely determine the quality and cost of the finished product.

Effective purchasing aims to provide an adequate supply of food, the right quality in the
right quantity and at the right place. To make this possible, it is important for the food to be
purchased at the right time and from the right source.

TIPS IN PURCHASING

1. ​Choose whole grain cereals and bread rather than refined ones. The greatest
concentration of B-vitamins and minerals is in the wheat germ and outer layers of the grain.
The entire germ and most of the outer layers are removed during milling to refine or whiten
the grain. Some, but not all, of the essential nutrients are restored when flour or cereals are
enriched. In other words, enriched foods are much better than unenriched refined products,
but whole grain products are best. Rice and pasta, as well as breads and cereals, are
readily available in enriched forms. Brown rice contains more vitamins than white and
parboiled white rice (“converted”) has more vitamins than polished rice.

Enrichment means nutrients that were lost during food processing have been added back.
An example is adding back certain vitamins lost in processing wheat to make white flour.

Fortified means vitamins or minerals have been added to a food that weren't originally in the
food.

2. ​If you buy skim milk or non-fat dry milk, be sure it has been fortified with vitamins A and

D. These vitamins are lost when fat is removed from milk. Margarine should also be
fortified with vitamins A and D.

3. ​Buy fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables rather than canned ones. Many vitamins are

soluble in water (all B-vitamins and C) and many are destroyed by the high temperature
involved in canning. As a result, canned foods may retain half or less of the original content
of many vitamins; additional vitamins are lost during storage.
 4. ​Shop for fresh produce and, if possible, pick fruits and vegetables that have been

ripened in the vine.

5. ​Choose bright orange carrots, deep orange sweet potatoes, and dark leaf lettuce for

maximum Vitamin A content.

STEPS IN PURCHASING

1. ​Determine what items or products should be purchased, specifying the quality and

quantity.

2. ​Know the market situation about the products, such as the supply, demand, market

availability and related information.

3. ​Contact potential suppliers or visit possible sources to know what products are being

offered and at what price.

4.​ ​Compare the products available from different sources with your product specifications.

5. ​Evaluate what the supplier has to offer against your needs, as in the quality available,

prices, terms, conditions of delivery, methods of payment and the like.

6.​ ​Decide on the supplier or vendor.

TIPS FOR A PURCHASER/MARKETER

1. Know what to buy and where to buy quality foods.

2. Determined beforehand how much you can afford to spend.

3. Make a flexible marketing list.

4. Use polite expressions when buying and asking for goods.

5. Avoid unnecessary remarks if you do not approve of the price.

How To Buy Fruits

1. Choose fruits that are deeply colored, firm, naturally shiny, and heavy for their size.

2. Heavier fruits will be juicier

3. Avoid fruits with soft spots, although the end opposite the stem should be slightly soft.

4. Choose fruits that are fragrant and slightly soft but not mushy.

5. Choose fruits that are free of bruises and look for any that are getting soft just below the
stem.

How To Buy Vegetables

1. Vegetables are best in season and at their most affordable

2. Buy onions that are firm, and have little to no scent

3. Full and firm stalks (green leafy) are a good sign for freshness

4. Eggplants are usually light purple when they are fresh and darken more as they ripen. Near
black eggplants have little time left.

5. If to buy tomato and eggplant, select those without signs of decay, scars and discoloration or
spots.

6. Cabbage should be firm and heavy.

7. Avoid buying vegetables that are cut and diced into pieces or peeled.

How To Buy Eggs

1. Fresh eggs stay at the bottom of the bowl with water while stale eggs stand on end or float
because of the large air cell (the air-filled pocket between the white and shell at the large end of
the egg.

2. It has a rough shell

3. It is heavy in weight

How To Buy Meat

1. Meat should have a rich pink color for pork and beef is dark red in color.
2. Bones should be bright white, and wisps of creamy.

3. White fat should be evenly distributed throughout the cut.

4. Avoid deep purple or dark brown colors, which mean the meat is on the verge of going bad
or comes from an older animal

How To Buy Chicken

1. Be sure to choose chicken that is creamy white to deep yellow in appearance.

2. Decide what part to purchase and it depends on cooking needs.

3. The fat should be a white to deep yellow colour and definitely not grey.

4. Young chicken has smooth legs

How To Buy Fish

1.Look for firm, shiny flesh. It should bounce back when touched.

2.Sniff the fish. A "fresh" fish should not smell "fishy", but should have the odor of the ocean -
such as a fresh ocean breeze

3.Check the eyes. If the head is on, fresh fish should have clear eyes, no cloudiness should be
present. They should bulge a little.

4. Check the gills. If whole, they should be bright pink/red and wet, not slimy or dry.

5. Look for discoloration, brown or yellow edges, and a spongy consistency, these are all signs
of aging fish.

6. The belly walls are intact.