Food guidance
Food temperature control, answered from the source
111 questions on chilled, frozen and hot food, transport, HACCP and audits, each answered from UK and Irish law, the FSA, Food Standards Scotland, the FSAI or the standard itself. Filter by your setting, the topic, or how binding it is.
By setting
What applies where you work
Start with your setting: each page explains the rules that apply to you, then answers the questions people ask.
Manufacturing and HACCP
How HACCP treats temperature: critical limits, monitoring, corrective action, verification and the records an EHO or auditor will ask for, from Regulation 852/2004 and FSA, FSS and FSAI guidance.
32 questionsFood distribution and cold stores
For distribution centres, wholesale and cold stores: where the probes go, whether you need a mapping study, alarms that reach a person, calibration and how long to keep the records, in chilled and frozen stores.
44 questionsCatering and retail
63 °C hot holding, the time limits for food on display, cooling, reheating and delivery checks: what the regulations say, what Safer Food, Better Business and CookSafe add, and where the nations differ.
30 questionsFood transport and deliveries
What hygiene law asks of a refrigerated vehicle, when the ATP agreement applies, multi-temperature loads, delivery checks, and how to prove the temperature from dock to drop.
18 questionsFood in Ireland
Irish food law sets no fixed chill figure, so the FSAI's guidance does the work. What it says on chilling, cooling, reheating and hot holding, and where it differs from the UK.
17 questions
By topic
Read one subject end to end
Chilled food: 8 °C or 5 °C?
What the law in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland says about holding chilled food, the tolerances it allows, and why the FSA's 5 °C advice and your customer's limit usually decide the number you monitor to.
46 questionsFrozen food and cold stores
The quick-frozen foodstuffs rules, the brief rises they allow in transport and retail cabinets, the recording instruments they require, and what that means for a cold store's monitoring and records.
13 questionsBRCGS and SALSA
Temperature-controlled storage, transport, calibration and records in BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9, Storage and Distribution Issue 4 and SALSA, with clause numbers (paraphrased).
14 questionsProduct-specific temperatures
The figures the law sets for meat, mince, poultry, fish, milk and eggs, the industry ranges for produce and chocolate, and which one to alarm on when they share a store.
19 questions
Going further
Differences, records and the audit
Where the rules differ
12 places where the law, the FSA, FSS, the FSAI, BRCGS and retailer codes give different figures, side by side, with our recommendation.
See the casesHow long to keep food records
Quick-frozen records, HACCP, BRCGS and SALSA: the periods, their basis and what to do on a mixed site.
See the tableUK and Ireland at a glance (PDF)
Every limit, tolerance, time rule and record period on two pages, with our recommendations where the rules are silent.
Download the PDFWhat BRCGS expects
Limits, monitoring, calibration and corrective action, as the auditor will ask about them.
Read the explainer
The recorder standard behind quick-frozen monitoring: EN 12830 and independent monitoring. Looking for medicines and healthcare? See the health and pharma guidance.
Every question
Ask it the way you'd ask a colleague
All 111 questions and answers in one list. Search them, or narrow them by setting, topic or how binding the source is. Where the sources disagree or leave room for judgement, the answer says so.
Law: A legal requirement: statute or regulation.
Formal guidance: Published guidance or a certification standard an EHO or auditor expects you to follow, or to justify departing from.
Interpretation: How a regulator or standard owner reads the rules: Q&As, position statements, inspection and enforcement findings.
Are the temperature rules in Wales and Northern Ireland the same as England?Law
In substance, yes. Schedule 4 of the Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006 and Schedule 4 of the Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 contain the same structure and figures as England: an offence above 8 °C (para 2), the same general exemptions (para 3), the manufacturer's upward variation backed by 'a well-founded scientific assessment' (para 4), the four-hour display and the transfer, defrost and breakdown defences (para 5), the hot holding offence below 63 °C (para 6) and the scientific assessment and two-hour defences (para 7).
What's agreed, and what isn't
Differences are in drafting only: Wales says 'will be guilty of an offence', Northern Ireland 'shall be guilty' and refers to the 'ultimate consumer' for mail order, and the poultry and egg exemptions in para 3(f) and (g) cite updated marketing regulations (amended 2018 in Wales, 2019 in Northern Ireland). Neither has a reheating temperature. Both exclude operations to which 853/2004 applies.
Can a manufacturer label a product to be stored above 8 °C?Law
Yes, within limits. Paragraph 4(1) of Schedule 4 gives a defence where the manufacturer, preparer or processor has recommended the food is kept 'at or below a specified temperature between 8 °C and ambient temperatures' for no longer than a specified shelf life, the recommendation was communicated by label or other written instruction, the food was not kept above that temperature, and the shelf life had not been exceeded. Paragraph 4(2) says a business must not make such a recommendation 'unless that recommendation is supported by a well-founded scientific assessment of the safety of the food at the specified temperature'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is a defence, not an automatic permission: the accused must prove each element. The law does not specify what a 'well-founded scientific assessment' must contain (for example challenge testing or predictive modelling), so the evidence standard is unclear and worth agreeing with the enforcing authority or primary authority. The same wording appears in the Welsh and Northern Ireland regulations; Scotland has no equivalent provision because it has no 8 °C figure.
Does Scotland have an 8 °C chill limit in law?Law
No. Paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 4 to the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 makes it an offence to keep food on which a commercial operation is being carried out otherwise than '(a) in a refrigerator or refrigerating chamber or in a cool ventilated place; or (b) at a temperature above 63°C'. Paragraph 2(2) disapplies this for food undergoing preparation for sale, food exposed for sale or sold to a consumer, food being cooled 'as quickly as possible to a temperature which would not result in a risk to health' after cooking or final processing, food it is reasonable to keep otherwise for convenient sale, shelf-stable ambient food, and listed poultry and egg products.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Scotland's law sets no numeric chill temperature, so the working figure has to come from the HACCP plan and Food Standards Scotland guidance. Note the hot wording also differs: 'above 63°C' in Scotland against 'at or above 63 °C' (England, Wales, Northern Ireland). As in England, the Schedule applies only where 852/2004 applies but 853/2004 does not (para 1(1)), and not on ships or aircraft.
Does the law say the cold chain must not be broken?Law
Yes. Annex II, Chapter IX, paragraph 5 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 says raw materials, ingredients, intermediate and finished products likely to support pathogens or toxins 'are not to be kept at temperatures that might result in a risk to health. The cold chain is not to be interrupted.' It continues: 'However, limited periods outside temperature control are permitted, to accommodate the practicalities of handling during preparation, transport, storage, display and service of food, provided that it does not result in a risk to health.'
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is paragraph 5 of Chapter IX (paragraph 2 covers storage conditions generally). The regulation gives no temperature figure and does not specify how long a 'limited period' can be; the national schedules (8 °C and 63 °C in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and 853/2004 supply figures for some foods. Businesses must define and justify their own excursion limits.
Is it an offence if a fridge goes above 8 °C during a defrost cycle or a breakdown?Law
Paragraph 5(2) of Schedule 4 gives a defence where food was being transferred between premises and a food business vehicle, or was kept above 8 °C (or the recommended temperature) 'for an unavoidable reason, such as' handling during and after processing or preparation, 'the defrosting of equipment', or 'temporary breakdown of equipment', provided it was above that temperature 'for a limited period only and that period was consistent with food safety'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The law does not specify how long 'a limited period' is, or what makes a period 'consistent with food safety'. That has to be justified case by case, which in practice means having a time-stamped record showing when the excursion started and ended and what was done. This is where alarm delays matter: the regulation is silent on alarm settings, so the business must decide them in its HACCP plan. The same text appears for Wales and Northern Ireland.
Is there a legal maximum chill temperature in Ireland, like the 8 °C limit in England?Law
No. Irish legislation does not set a general chill-holding figure. The legal duty comes from Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter IX, point 5: foods likely to support the growth of pathogens 'are not to be kept at temperatures that might result in a risk to health' and 'the cold chain is not to be interrupted', with limited periods outside temperature control allowed where this does not result in a risk to health. S.I. No. 369 of 2006, Regulation 4(1), makes failure to comply with Annex II an offence. Specific numbers come from Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 for some foods of animal origin, from the quick-frozen food regulations (−18 °C), and from FSAI guidance (0 to 5 °C).
What's agreed, and what isn't
This differs from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 (and equivalents) make it an offence to keep relevant food above 8 °C, and from Scotland, where the law requires a refrigerator, refrigerating chamber or cool ventilated place but sets no figure. In Ireland the 5 °C figure is guidance, not statute, but an inspector will judge 'risk to health' against FSAI guidance and the Irish Standards, so in practice 5 °C is the benchmark. The EU text is silent on how long 'limited periods' outside temperature control may be.
What is the legal maximum chill temperature for food in England?Law
Schedule 4, paragraph 2(1) of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 makes it an offence to keep food 'which is likely to support the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms or the formation of toxins', and on which a commercial operation is being carried out, 'at or in food premises at a temperature above 8 °C'. Regulation 32 gives Schedule 4 effect. Food conveyed to the final consumer by mail order is excluded from the 8 °C rule (para 2(2)), but must not be supplied at a temperature that has given rise to, or is likely to give rise to, a risk to health (para 2(3)).
What's agreed, and what isn't
8 °C is a legal ceiling, not a target. The law does not specify a target operating temperature, so many businesses set 5 °C or lower as a working limit; that is a business decision, not a legal figure. Under para 1(1)(a) Schedule 4 does not apply to food business operations to which Regulation 853/2004 applies (approved establishments handling products of animal origin). Where 853/2004 sets a figure (7 °C meat, 3 °C offal, 4 °C poultry, 2 °C mince), that is the legal limit; for other products in approved premises the limit comes from the HACCP plan under the general duty in 852/2004. Schedule 4 also does not apply on ships or aircraft. The law is silent on how the temperature is measured (air or product) and how often.
What temperatures does 853/2004 set for meat, poultry, mince and fish?Law
Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 (GB text): red meat must be chilled to 'not more than 3 °C for offal and 7 °C for other meat' and stay there during storage and transport (Section I, Chapter VII, points 1 to 3); poultry meat must reach 'not more than 4 °C before transport' (Section II, Chapter V, point 4); minced meat must be chilled to 'not more than 2 °C' and meat preparations 4 °C, or frozen to 'not more than -18 °C' (Section V, Chapter III, point 2(c)). Fresh fishery products must be kept at 'a temperature approaching that of melting ice' and frozen fishery products at 'not more than – 18 °C in all parts of the product' (Section VIII, Chapter VII). In transport frozen fish may have 'short upward fluctuations of not more than 3 °C' (Section VIII, Chapter VIII, point 1(b)).
What's agreed, and what isn't
These apply to approved establishments under 853/2004, which is why the 8 °C Schedule 4 rule does not apply to them. 853/2004 does not set a single -18 °C storage figure for all frozen red meat; it says meat for freezing 'must be frozen without undue delay'. Northern Ireland follows the EU text, which has been amended since (for example on warm carcase transport), so figures can differ from GB. Whole fish frozen in brine for canning may be kept at not more than -9 °C.
Which foods are exempt from the 8 °C chill requirement in England?Law
Paragraph 3 of Schedule 4 lists the general exemptions: (a) cooked or reheated food for service or on display that needs to be kept at or above 63 °C; (b) food that 'for the duration of its shelf life may be kept at ambient temperatures with no risk to health'; (c) food processed (for example by dehydration or canning) to prevent growth at ambient, but not once a hermetically sealed container has been opened; (d) food that must be ripened or matured at ambient, until ripening is complete; (e) raw food intended for further processing (including cooking) that will make it fit to eat if done correctly; and (f) and (g) foods covered by the poultrymeat and egg marketing rules cited.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The exemptions are categories of food, not time allowances. Opened canned or dehydrated food falls back under the 8 °C rule. Whether a product genuinely 'may be kept at ambient temperatures with no risk to health' is a judgement for the producer, ideally backed by evidence. Wales and Northern Ireland have the same list; Scotland's Schedule 4 is drafted differently (see the Scotland item).
Can a product be stored above 8 °C if the manufacturer says so?Guidance
Yes, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, under conditions. The FSA's temperature control guidance (paragraphs 36 to 41) explains a defence where the manufacturer, preparer or processor recommends storage at a specified temperature between 8 °C and ambient for a specified shelf life, communicated on the label or in other written instructions, and the food was kept at or below it within that shelf life. The recommendation must be 'supported by a well–founded scientific assessment'. Retailers and wholesalers 'may not themselves recommend a higher temperature'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The burden of proof is on the business using the defence, and it must meet every part of it. The guidance (paragraph 67) says a modelling tool such as ComBase 'is not considered in itself to provide a sufficient assurance'. This section 'is not directly relevant to Scotland'. The guidance is dated May 2016 with a review date of June 2018 and still cites EU regulations, so check the current legislation text.
How long can chilled food go above 8 °C during loading, defrost cycles or a breakdown?Guidance
The FSA guidance (paragraphs 47 to 48) explains a defence for food kept outside temperature control 'for a limited period only' consistent with food safety, while being loaded or unloaded from a vehicle, or for unavoidable reasons such as handling during preparation, 'defrosting of equipment; or temporary breakdown of equipment'. The regulations do not specify the period, but the guidance says: 'In normal circumstances, a single limited period of up to two hours outside temperature control is unlikely to be questioned.' Longer periods may need justification and a HACCP-based hazard analysis.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The two-hour figure is FSA guidance on how the defence is likely to be read, not a number in the law, and the burden of proof is on the business. It applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland; the guidance says no such periods are specified in the Scottish schedule. Records of when an alarm started and when the unit recovered are what would support this defence; the guidance does not mention alarms or loggers.
If a fridge or freezer in an Irish kitchen has been warm, how long before the food has to be thrown out?Guidance
I.S. 340:2007 (Hygiene in the Catering Sector), as corrected by Corrigendum No. 1:2008 to clause 3.1 point 3, gives corrective actions by time above 5 °C for chilled food: under 2 hours, use immediately or restore the temperature; between 2 and 4 hours, use immediately or discard; over 4 hours, discard. For frozen food at or above −12 °C, the action is to use immediately, risk assess, or discard. The standard says the cold chain can be managed by following its Section 3 guidance or by defining the cold chain as a Critical Control Point.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased from the free sample pages NSAI publishes; the standard itself is a paid document, and I.S. 340 is a voluntary national guide (it is on the EU register). Knowing how long food has been above 5 °C needs either frequent manual checks or continuous logging; with a once-a-day check the duration of an excursion is unclear, and the standard is silent on how to establish it. FSAI Guidance Note 15 uses a different rule for cook-chill food (above 5 °C but not above 10 °C: consume within four hours), and I.S. 341 for retail was not checked here, so figures may differ by sector.
If an inspector finds food above 8 °C, is it automatically an offence or unfit?Guidance
Section 8.9.10 of the Food Law Practice Guidance (England) reminds officers that the regulations allow chilled food on service or display 'to rise above 8ºC for one period only of less than four hours', and section 8.9.11 that hot-held food may fall below 63 °C 'for one period only of less than 2 hours', citing schedule 4 paragraphs 5 and 7 of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. The officer 'needs to be satisfied that the FBO has measures in place' so these tolerances are not exceeded. Section 8.9.12 says food above 8 °C 'can still be fit for consumption' and officers should look at the history of the food and how likely it is that food is consistently placed on the market at those temperatures.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Where the officer considers food was not produced or distributed in line with the 2013 Regulations, it can be dealt with under regulation 29 (seizure or detention), though voluntary removal can be used. The guidance allows an educative first step. It does not specify how a business proves a single period of under four hours; time-stamped monitoring or a documented display procedure is the usual evidence, so agree the approach with your EHO. Schedule 4 does not apply where Regulation 853/2004 applies.
Is 8 °C the legal chill limit in Scotland?Guidance
No. The FSA's UK temperature control guidance (paragraph 25) says Scottish rules 'differ significantly', 'primarily that no exact chill temperature is given'. It explains (paragraph 50) that an offence is committed by keeping food outside 'a refrigerator, a refrigerated chamber or a cool ventilated place' unless it is held above 63 °C, subject to exemptions. Paragraph 51 recommends that if the storage place 'exceeds 8°C then the shelf life of the foodstuff may need to be reduced'. SFBB describes 8 °C as 'recommended in Scotland'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Food Standards Scotland points businesses to this FSA guidance (FSS FOI response, 27 October 2016), and the PDF is hosted on the FSS website. FSS's own CookSafe manual recommends operating refrigerators and chills 'at 5°C or below'. The general duty not to keep food at temperatures that risk health applies in Scotland as elsewhere. The guidance dates from May 2016; check the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 Schedule 4 as amended for the current text.
Is the fridge limit 5 °C or 8 °C?Guidance
Both figures appear, for different things. The FSA's business guidance says chilled food 'must be kept at 8°C or below', which it describes as a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 'recommended in Scotland'. It then advises: 'Set your fridge to 5°C or below to make sure food stays cold enough, even if the temperature changes.' So 8 °C is the legal ceiling for the food, and 5 °C is the recommended equipment setting that gives you a margin.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The 5 °C figure is guidance, not law, in all four nations. Scotland differs: its regulations give no chill temperature at all (see the Scotland item), so 8 °C is not a legal limit there. Some foods need colder storage than 8 °C, and SFBB says to follow the manufacturer's storage instructions. The FSA's consumer advice uses a different range ('between 0 and 5°C') for home fridges. Manufacturer and certification specifications can be tighter than either figure.
What chilling profile does the FSAI recommend for industrially processed heat-chill foods?Guidance
FSAI Guidance Note No. 20 (Revision 1, 2021), Table 5, recommends starting chilling within 90 minutes of the end of heat processing, cooling the core from 55 °C to ≤10 °C in not more than 120 minutes, then from 10 °C to ≤3 °C in not more than 60 minutes. The product should then go straight into controlled refrigerated storage giving a final product temperature of ≤5 °C, with ≤3 °C recommended throughout the chill chain. Tables 6 and 7 give longer profiles for large uncured and cured meat products (for uncured meats, 55 °C to 12 °C within 360 minutes and a maximum total cooling time of 600 minutes).
What's agreed, and what isn't
These are 'suggested best practice', and GN20 says the onus is always on the operator to prove the safety of its process. GN20 covers pre-packed heat-chill foods distributed to retail and does not apply to caterers selling direct, who use GN15. The ≤5 °C storage figure with a ≤3 °C recommendation differs from England, where the statutory chill limit is 8 °C. All temperatures refer to the geometric core or thickest point.
What sort of temperature failings does an inspector score as minor versus serious on the hygiene rating?Guidance
The Brand Standard's Table 1 describes what each hygiene score looks like in practice. A score of 10 ('some non-compliance... not considered significant in terms of risk') gives the example 'high-risk food held under refrigeration generally below 8°C but some evidence of rising above such as when busy, some lapses in monitoring of critical control points'. A score of 20 describes a 'poor standard of hygienic food handling, temperature control'. A score of 25 ('almost total non-compliance') includes 'inadequate temperature control for high-risk foods', 'food kept out of temperature control' and 'fridge not operating at correct temperature'. Scores of 5 and 0 require safe preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling and storage to be demonstrated.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Because a 5 rating needs no individual score above 5, the score-10 example (fridges drifting above 8 °C when busy, or gaps in CCP monitoring) is on its own enough to cap a business at a 4. The descriptors are illustrations; the Brand Standard says the Code of Practice wording governs and the table complements rather than replaces it. The descriptors do not specify how many readings, or how far above 8 °C, moves a business from one score to the next; that is left to the officer's judgement, so it is worth asking the EHO what they saw if a score is unclear.
What storage temperatures does the FSAI expect manufacturers to use when validating chilled shelf life?Guidance
FSAI Guidance Note No. 18 (Revision 5) says 'the recommended temperature for refrigerated storage during distribution, catering and retail in Ireland is ≤5 °C' but that operators should allow for temperature abuse along the chain and by consumers. For Listeria monocytogenes durability studies and challenge tests on chilled ready-to-eat food, it cites the EU Reference Laboratory recommendation of two thirds of the shelf life at 7 °C (described as the 95th percentile of the chill chain in Ireland) and one third at 10 °C (domestic refrigerators).
What's agreed, and what isn't
Testing at 5 °C when the real chain runs warmer risks overestimating shelf life, which is why monitored chain temperatures are useful evidence; GN18 allows a business to use its own known storage temperatures if it justifies them. The PDF linked from the FSAI publication page (dated 4 November 2022) carries 'Draft' and 'Not for publication' watermarks on its pages, so confirm with the FSAI that it is the final text before citing it formally.
What temperature does the FSAI expect our fridges and chill cabinets to run at?Guidance
The FSAI says the thermostat of all fridges and chill storage cabinets 'should be set at a temperature that will ensure that the temperature of the food is between 0° C and 5° C', and adds that 'in general, fridges set at 3° C or 4° C' will achieve this. It describes 5 °C to 63 °C as the danger zone. Its 2022 advice note to businesses repeats that refrigerated food should be maintained at 0 to 5 °C and frozen food at −18 °C.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is guidance, not a statutory limit (see the item on Irish law). The figure refers to food temperature, not air temperature, which is why the FSAI suggests a 3 to 4 °C setting. Ireland's 5 °C differs from the 8 °C legal maximum in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. FSAI Guidance Note 18 states that the recommended temperature for refrigerated storage during distribution, catering and retail in Ireland is ≤5 °C, citing the NSAI Irish Standards.
Is 5 °C or 8 °C the right target for chilled food in the supply chain?Interpretation
The Chilled Food Association says chilled foods are designed to be stored 'at or below 8ºC, targeting 5ºC' throughout their life, and that in England, Wales and Northern Ireland the 8 °C legal requirement applies to the temperature of the food, not the surrounding air. It notes that Scotland's rules differ and contain no specific chill temperature, and recommends that if storage exceeds 8 °C, shelf life may need to be reduced.
What's agreed, and what isn't
8 °C is the legal ceiling in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; 5 °C is an industry target, not law. Retailer supplier codes are often said to require tighter limits, but we found no publicly published retailer figure we could verify, so we do not state one; check your customer's code. ATP sets product-specific limits (for example +4 °C poultry, +2 °C minced meat) for international journeys, which differ from both. Shelf-life studies are usually based on the intended storage temperature, so a site running warmer than its shelf-life assumption needs to review it.
Do Irish cold stores, vehicles and retailers have to record frozen food air temperatures, and for how long must records be kept?Law
Yes. S.I. No. 370 of 1995, Regulation 5(1), requires the means of transport, warehousing and storage of quick-frozen food to 'be fitted with suitable recording instruments to monitor, at frequent and regular intervals, the air temperature'. Regulation 7 requires recordings to 'be dated and stored by the operator for at least one year or longer according to the nature of food'. Retail cold chambers under ten cubic metres may use an easily visible thermometer instead (Regulation 5(2)), and retail display cabinets need at least one easily visible thermometer, in open cabinets reading at the air return side at the maximum load line (Regulation 8).
What's agreed, and what isn't
Regulation 6 says measuring instruments in transport registered in the State 'must be approved by the Minister' or a nominated body; the regulations do not say which standard that means, so check with your supervising authority. The Irish S.I. is silent on any instrument standard; check Commission Regulation (EC) No 37/2005, which applies directly, for the EU requirements. 'Frequent and regular intervals' is not defined, so a business needs to decide its own logging interval. Contravening Regulations 5 to 8 is an offence (Regulation 12).
Do retail freezers and small cold rooms need data loggers?Law
Not under Regulation 37/2005. Article 3(1) says that in retail display cabinets and local distribution the air temperature 'shall only be measured by at least one easily visible thermometer'; open cabinets must have the maximum load line marked and the thermometer must read 'at the air return side at the level of that mark'. Regulation 9(4) of the England 2007 Regulations adds that there is no breach for 'a cold store facility with a capacity of less than 10m3 used for storing stock in retail outlets' where air temperature is measured 'by an easily visible thermometer'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The exemption covers only quick-frozen food recording rules. It does not remove the general HACCP duty under 852/2004 to monitor critical control points, so a retailer may still choose to record. Scotland applies the same small cold store exemption through SSI 2007/106. The recital to 37/2005 explains that recording on small retail equipment 'would be excessive'.
Do vehicles and cold stores carrying quick-frozen food need EN 12830 temperature recorders?Law
Retained Regulation (EC) No 37/2005, Article 2, requires the means of transport, warehousing and storage of quick-frozen foodstuffs to be fitted with recording instruments monitoring air temperature 'at frequent and regular intervals'. The instruments must comply with EN 12830, EN 13485 and EN 13486, operators must keep documents showing conformity, and recordings must be dated and kept 'for a period of at least one year, or for a longer period taking into account the nature and the shelf life'. ATP Annex 2 Appendix 1 sets the same for international carriage, requiring EN 12830:2018 recorders verified under EN 13486:2002 by an accredited body.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Article 3 allows retail display cabinets and local distribution to use 'at least one easily visible thermometer' instead, and lets the competent authority allow a visible thermometer for retail cold stores under 10 m3. The regulation does not specify the recording interval; 'frequent and regular' is unclear. ATP still cites EN 13486:2002, but BSI lists BS EN 13486:2023 as current, so the cited editions differ; ask your supplier which edition the verification certificate follows.
What does Irish law say about frozen food temperatures and tolerances?Law
The European Communities (Quick-frozen Foodstuffs) Regulations, 1992 (S.I. No. 290 of 1992), Regulation 7(1), require quick-frozen foodstuffs to be kept 'at -18°C or lower', with the exception that the temperature 'may briefly fluctuate upwards by not more than 3°C during transport'. Regulation 7(2) allows tolerances in local distribution and in retail display cabinets which 'shall not exceed 3°C'. The FSAI lists S.I. 290/1992 and S.I. 370/1995 as the current national instruments for quick-frozen food.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The −18 °C rule is statutory only for food sold as 'quick-frozen'. For other frozen food the FSAI advises freezers 'should be maintained at -18° C or colder in food businesses', with ice cream allowed at −12 °C in food service areas; that is guidance. The tolerances apply to the product temperature, not the air, and the regulations do not specify how long 'briefly' is. The Irish instruments were written to implement Council Directive 89/108/EEC and later Commission Directives; the monitoring rules at EU level are now in Commission Regulation (EC) No 37/2005, which applies directly.
What temperature must quick-frozen food be kept at, and what tolerance is allowed?Law
Schedule 2 to the Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (England) Regulations 2007 requires quick-frozen food to reach '−18 °C or colder' after thermal stabilisation and then be 'maintained at a level no warmer than −18 °C' except under a permitted exception. The exceptions are: kept 'within brief periods during transport (including local distribution) at a temperature warmer than −18 °C but not warmer than −15 °C', or kept 'in a retail display cabinet at a temperature warmer than −18 °C to an extent consistent with good storage practice but not warmer than −12 °C'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
So the transport tolerance is 3 °C (to -15 °C) for 'brief periods', and retail cabinets may reach -12 °C. The law does not define 'brief periods'. The figures apply to products labelled as quick-frozen, not to all frozen food, and ice cream is excluded. Wales (SI 2007/389) and Northern Ireland (SR 2007/110) have the same figures. Scotland still uses the Quick-frozen Foodstuffs Regulations 1990 (as amended by SSI 2007/106) with the same -18, -15 and -12 °C limits.
What temperature recording is legally required for frozen food stores and vehicles?Law
Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 37/2005 requires the means of transport, warehousing and storage of quick-frozen foodstuffs to 'be fitted with suitable recording instruments to monitor, at frequent and regular intervals, the air temperature'. Instruments 'shall comply with EN 12830, EN 13485 and EN 13486 standards' and operators must keep documents showing conformity. 'Temperature recording shall be dated and stored by the food operator for a period of at least one year, or for a longer period taking into account the nature and the shelf life of the quick-frozen foodstuffs.'
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is the only UK temperature law with a specific record retention period. It does not specify the recording interval ('frequent and regular') or a calibration frequency, although EN 13486 covers periodic verification. Breach is an offence under regulation 9 of the England 2007 Regulations (and equivalents), and records must be made available to an authorised officer on request (regulation 8).
What freezer temperature does SFBB for retailers give, and how often should freezers be checked?Guidance
SFBB's 'Frozen storage and display' safe method for retailers says: 'It is good practice to keep frozen food at -18˚C or colder.' It adds that food labelled 'Quick frozen' 'must be stored at -18˚C or colder, or displayed at -12˚C or colder'. You should check freezing equipment temperatures 'at least once a day starting with your opening checks', and check in between frozen food as well. Food that has begun to defrost should be thrown away unless it is meant to be sold defrosted, and must not be refrozen.
What's agreed, and what isn't
For general frozen food, −18 °C is described as good practice, not a legal limit, in this guide. For food sold as quick-frozen, the −18 °C storage figure and the −12 °C retail cabinet limit are in law: Schedule 2 to the Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (England) Regulations 2007 (see the quick-frozen item). Scotland's RetailSafe says it may be sufficient to check that freezer contents are 'still obviously frozen', with occasional thermometer checks.
Can cold stores raise frozen set points from -18 °C to save energy?Interpretation
The Cold Chain Federation says -18 °C has been the standard 'for well over 100 years' and that evidence suggests that for most products it 'could be overly risk averse', citing -15 °C as an example of a higher set point. It also says 'more research and collaboration is needed' and that the new temperature is still undetermined.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is an industry position, not a change in law or standards. ATP Annex 2 still requires -18 °C for quick-frozen food in international carriage, and quick-frozen food law still applies in the UK; customer specifications and BRCGS audits follow the product specification. Do not change set points for quick-frozen products without checking legal requirements and the product owner's specification. The page is undated and refers to a survey due in summer 2024, so it may be out of date.
Must refrigerated delivery vehicles be able to monitor temperature?Law
Annex II, Chapter IV, paragraph 7 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 says: 'Where necessary, conveyances and/or containers used for transporting foodstuffs are to be capable of maintaining foodstuffs at appropriate temperatures and allow those temperatures to be monitored.' Chapter IV also requires conveyances to be kept clean and in good repair, and effective separation and cleaning between different loads.
What's agreed, and what isn't
'Allow those temperatures to be monitored' does not specify recording, a data logger, or a logging interval for chilled loads. Recording instruments are legally required for quick-frozen food in transport (Regulation 37/2005, Article 2), and 853/2004 requires an instrument that 'monitors and records air temperatures' for the derogation allowing carcases to be transported warm. For other chilled goods, recording is a HACCP and customer decision.
What do ATP class codes such as FRC mean, and how long does an ATP certificate last?Law
ATP Annex 1 defines mechanically refrigerated Class C equipment as able to choose an inside temperature 'between + 12 °C and -20 °C inclusive'; FRC is the mark for Class C mechanically refrigerated equipment with heavy insulation. Annex 1 Appendix 1 requires checks before entry into service, 'periodically, at least once every six years' and when the authority requires. Multi-compartment road equipment with two compartments is marked with both marks (for example FRC-FRA); other multi-compartment equipment uses the highest class plus M (for example FRC-M), mandatory for equipment built from 1 October 2020. GOV.UK says the initial certificate lasts 6 years, then the vehicle or trailer must be retested every 3 years.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The ATP text also allows in-service examinations that extend approval by three or six years depending on the test carried out, so the UK DVSA summary (retest every 3 years) is a simplification; check with the testing station. Certificates or a certification plate must be carried on the equipment. ATP class does not by itself prove the load stayed in temperature; monitoring still applies. GOV.UK lists Cambridge Refrigeration Technology and three other providers for renewals.
What maximum temperatures does ATP set for carrying chilled foods?Law
ATP Annex 3 sets the highest temperature of the food at any point of the load on loading, during carriage and on unloading: raw milk +6 °C (up to +10 °C when collected from the farm for immediate processing), red meat and large game +7 °C, meat products, pasteurised milk, butter, fresh dairy, ready cooked foods, ready-to-eat prepared raw vegetables, concentrated fruit juice and fish products +6 °C or the label/transport document temperature, game, poultry and rabbits +4 °C, red offal +3 °C, minced meat +2 °C or the label/document temperature, and untreated fish, molluscs and crustaceans on melting ice. Temperature control 'should be such as not to cause freezing at any point of the load'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
These are food (product) temperatures, not air temperatures, and apply legally only to international ATP journeys. They differ from GB chill-holding law (8 °C in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and from the CFA's 5 °C target. Annex 3 is silent on defrost-cycle allowances for chilled loads (Annex 2 has one for frozen). Amendments notified in 2025 may change the text; check the current UNECE edition.
What temperatures does ATP require for frozen and quick-frozen food in transit, and is a defrost rise allowed?Law
ATP Annex 2 requires the food at any point of the load to be at or below: ice cream -20 °C; frozen or quick-frozen fish, fish products, molluscs and crustaceans and all other quick-frozen foodstuffs -18 °C; all other frozen foodstuffs (except butter) -12 °C; butter -10 °C. Paragraph 4 allows, during operations such as evaporator defrosting, 'a brief rise of the temperature of the surface of the foodstuffs of not more than 3 °C in a part of the load'. Annex 2 Appendix 2 also allows, in measurement, a brief operational rise of up to 3 °C at the surface and up to 2 °C methodology tolerance for non-destructive (between-pack) readings.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The defrost allowance is about surface temperature of the food, not air, and 'brief' is not specified in minutes; that is unclear. Air sensors will show larger swings during defrost, so alarm delays are a site decision. The Cold Chain Federation is exploring higher frozen set points (for example -15 °C) but this does not change ATP or quick-frozen law.
Does the ATP agreement apply to our UK-only refrigerated deliveries?Guidance
ATP Article 3 applies to carriage of quick-frozen and frozen foodstuffs and Annex 3 chilled foodstuffs by road or rail where the loading and unloading points 'are in two different States' and unloading is in a Contracting Party, including sea crossings under 150 km. The UK's International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs Act 1976, section 1, likewise covers transport equipment for 'international carriage'. GOV.UK (DVSA) says the rules apply to transport to or from the 50 ATP countries and 'There are different rules if you're only transporting perishable food within the UK.'
What's agreed, and what isn't
So ATP certification is not required for purely domestic UK journeys. Domestic carriage still falls under food hygiene law (chill holding, and for quick-frozen food, retained Regulation (EC) No 37/2005 recording instruments). The GOV.UK page does not specify what the domestic rules are, and applies to England, Scotland and Wales. Many UK customers and standards still ask for ATP-class vehicles; that is a contract choice. ATP itself does not prescribe penalties; enforcement is national. ATP Article 3 wording is from the UNECE consolidated text (as amended 22 June 2024).
Is there a maximum time chilled or frozen product can sit on a loading bay?Guidance
BRCGS Storage and Distribution Issue 4, clause 7.3.4, requires sites to monitor process parameters critical to product safety, including handling and scheduling of transfers, and to set procedures with acceptable and unacceptable criteria. These must take into account 'maximum limits for the period of time that particular types of product may remain outside a temperature-controlled environment, including at loading, unloading and staging areas', and local seasonal variations. Clause 5.4.4 requires loading and unloading to keep product within limits.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard. The standard requires the site to set the time limits but does not specify any figure; it is silent on minutes allowed for door-open or dock dwell times. No primary source we checked gives a number, so this is a site decision based on product sensitivity, dock conditions and validation data. BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 (4.15.1, 4.16.1) refers only to managing transfers and controlling loading dock temperature.
What do BRCGS Storage and Distribution rules say about refrigerated vehicles, pre-cooling and driver alerts?Guidance
Section 5.4 of Storage and Distribution Issue 4 requires validation and ongoing verification that vehicles can hold specified product temperatures in all weather, considering maximum and minimum loads and delivery points (5.4.1). Load-area temperature must be monitored and recorded by automatic time and temperature equipment, with real-time records readily accessible, or by recorded manual checks where such equipment is absent (5.4.2). Settings must be verified before loading, and vehicles must be at a suitable temperature before loading or reach it within a defined time (5.4.3). A system must make the driver aware if load-area temperature leaves limits (5.4.5), and procedures must establish product status after equipment failure, before release to the customer (5.4.6).
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard. Pre-cooling is required in principle but the time and target are not specified; the 'defined time' is the operator's to set and justify. Alarm thresholds and delays for the driver alert are not specified. Food Safety Issue 9 (4.16.3) is less demanding and accepts refrigeration-operation records instead of load-temperature logs, so the two standards differ.
What does BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 say about temperature control in dispatch and transport?Guidance
Clause 4.16.2 requires vehicles and containers to be fit for purpose, including 'equipped to ensure any temperature requirements can be maintained', with inspection records. Clause 4.16.3 says temperature-controlled transport must hold product within specification 'under minimum and maximum load', using either temperature data loggers that can be interrogated for time and temperature, or a system that monitors and records refrigeration operation at predetermined frequencies. Clause 4.16.5 requires instructions for breakdown, accident or refrigeration failure so product safety is assessed and recorded, and 4.16.6 requires contracted hauliers to be approved through BRCGS or GFSI certification or a contract covering 4.16.1 to 4.16.5.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard. Monitoring the refrigeration unit's operation is accepted as an alternative to logging load temperature, so a reefer unit log can satisfy 4.16.3; whether it is enough for high-risk product is for the site's risk assessment and auditor. The clause does not specify logging intervals, pre-cooling of vehicles or door-open limits during multi-drop deliveries; it is silent on these. Storage and Distribution Issue 4 (clauses 5.4.1 to 5.4.5) is more specific for hauliers.
Can an EHO serve a notice requiring us to fix our temperature controls, and what happens if we don't?Law
Regulation 6 of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 lets an authorised officer serve a hygiene improvement notice where they have 'reasonable grounds for believing that a food business operator is failing to comply with the Hygiene Regulations'. The notice must state the grounds, specify the failures and the measures required, and set a period 'not being less than 14 days'. Failing to comply is an offence. 'The Hygiene Regulations' means the 2013 Regulations (including the schedule 4 temperature control requirements) and the assimilated EU hygiene regulations such as Regulation 852/2004, so temperature control failures can be the subject of a notice.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Remedial action notices under regulation 9 apply only to establishments that must be approved under Regulation 853/2004; they can prohibit use of equipment, impose conditions on a process or require the rate of operation to be reduced or stopped, and must be served 'as soon as practicable'. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have equivalent hygiene improvement notice powers in regulation 6 of their 2006 Food Hygiene Regulations. The FSA Practice Guidance says the choice between a notice, prosecution or both depends on public health risk, evidence, circumstances and the most effective strategy.
What does the law say about HACCP monitoring and temperature records?Law
Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 requires food business operators to 'put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on the HACCP principles'. These include 'establishing critical limits at critical control points', 'effective monitoring procedures', 'corrective actions when monitoring indicates that a critical control point is not under control', verification procedures 'carried out regularly', and 'documents and records commensurate with the nature and size of the food business'. Article 5(4)(c) requires operators to 'retain any other documents and records for an appropriate period'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The regulation is silent on the actual numbers: it does not specify monitoring frequency, logging interval, record format, or how long to keep records ('an appropriate period'). Those choices sit with the business and are tested by the enforcing officer or auditor. The procedure must be reviewed when any change is made to the product, process or any step. Quick-frozen food is the exception, with a specific one-year minimum record period under Regulation 37/2005.
What is the due diligence defence, and how do temperature records help?Law
Regulation 12(1) of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 makes it a defence to any offence under those Regulations, including the Schedule 4 temperature offences, to prove the accused 'took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence'. Section 21 of the Food Safety Act 1990 contains the same defence for offences under Part II of that Act, and is applied to the Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (England) Regulations 2007 by their regulation 10.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Neither provision lists what counts as 'all reasonable precautions'; the law is silent on specific evidence, so it is judged by the court on the facts. Temperature records, alarm response logs and calibration evidence are the usual way a business shows it. If the defence relies on someone else's fault, notice must be served on the prosecutor at least seven clear days before the hearing (s21(5); reg 12(5)). Section 21 extends to England, Wales and Scotland; Northern Ireland has its own Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, which we did not check.
Do the GB versions of 852/2004 and 853/2004 apply in Northern Ireland?Guidance
No. In Great Britain these regulations became assimilated law on 1 January 2024, but in Northern Ireland the EU versions continue to apply under the Windsor Framework, enforced through the Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006. An FSA explanatory memorandum (11 October 2024) on Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1141 records that 'The Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 provide for the enforcement of Regulation (EC) 853/2004 in Northern Ireland', and that the EU amendment adds flexibility to 'transport meat above the required temperature' and lets fish be held 'for the purpose of slicing for up to 96 hours'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
So 853/2004 temperature rules can differ between Northern Ireland (EU text as amended) and GB (assimilated text on legislation.gov.uk). Northern Ireland operators should check the current EU consolidated text on EUR-Lex, not the legislation.gov.uk 'eur' version, which is the GB text. Goods moving under the NI Retail Movement Scheme can meet UK standards instead. This item rests on the FSA memorandum; we did not fetch the Windsor Framework annex itself.
How are food businesses risk-rated for inspection in Scotland?Guidance
The Interventions Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019 introduced the Food Law Rating System (FLRS), which combines hygiene and standards. Officers score seven compliance categories, including food safety systems and practice, cross contamination, food safety management systems and confidence in management; the average gives a band A to E within one of three business groups. Group 1 (for example manufacturers of high-risk foods) ranges from 1A, 18 months, to 1D, 3 months; Group 2 (other manufacturers, caterers, distributors of high-risk foods) from 2A, 24 months, to 2D, 3 months; band E in any group means intensive intervention at 1 month. 'Any Food Business with a single Serious (5) Non-compliance automatically gets rated a Band E' (5.10.1).
What's agreed, and what isn't
The Scottish model differs from England's points-based A to E scheme: the bands are not equivalent, and Scotland's highest-risk group can be visited more often (every 3 months at band D). The Code's aide-memoire lists 'Temperature Control' and 'Monitoring Records' among the prompts used when scoring, and refers to audits of 'temperature monitoring'. An FSS-commissioned evaluation (October 2024) reported concerns about local authorities keeping up with FLRS visit frequencies; we have not verified its detail.
How do our HACCP plan and temperature records affect the 'confidence in management' score?Guidance
The Food Law Code of Practice (England), Annex 1 Part 3, says the confidence in management score judges 'the likelihood of satisfactory compliance being maintained in the future', looking at track record, willingness to act on advice, attitude, knowledge of 'hazard analysis/HACCP and the control of critical points', and 'satisfactory food safety management-based procedures'. A score of 20 includes 'no food safety management procedures or unsatisfactory progress' in developing, documenting and implementing them; a score of 30 includes 'no food safety management procedures'. The Brand Standard adds that HACCP-based procedures 'cannot be termed satisfactory... if they are not being properly implemented', so failures that show non-adherence to them also affect this score (paragraph 3.8).
What's agreed, and what isn't
Record keeping is expected to be proportionate: the Code says the requirement to keep records 'needs to be flexible' for very small businesses and that documentation may not be necessary under the Article 5 flexibility, while larger or more complex operations are expected to have more. The Code also tells officers to reflect reassurance from independent third-party assurance checks at the establishment. It does not specify a format, frequency or retention period for temperature records; those come from the business's own HACCP and industry guides.
How does CookSafe expect us to set critical limits and monitor fridges?Guidance
CookSafe uses a fridge as its worked example: 'If the Critical Limit has been set at 5°C, the purpose of Monitoring … would be to check that the Critical Limit of 5°C has been met.' Its suggested limits are chilled delivery and storage 'for example 5°C or below' and frozen 'for example –18°C or below'. For cold monitoring it says check 'the warmest part of the chill', avoid checking straight after the door has been open or 'during a defrost cycle', and that built-in displays show air temperature and 'should be checked regularly with a digital thermometer'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
CookSafe says 'You must determine the frequency of cold temperature monitoring in your House Rules', suggesting start of the working day plus another time in the day; it does not set a minimum. Monitoring may be recorded on its forms, your own forms, 'recording electronically' or a diary, so electronic records are expressly allowed. If a fridge at a 5 °C limit reads 12 °C, its example corrective action is to call the engineer and 'consider if the food is safe to use'. The manual's pages are marked Issue 1.2, May 2012.
How does the EHO decide how often to inspect us, and does temperature control affect it?Guidance
The Food Law Code of Practice (England), issued 23 October 2025, Annex 1, scores the potential hazard (type of food and handling, method of processing, consumers at risk), then current compliance, with the hygiene part explicitly including 'temperature control', then confidence in management. The total sets the minimum intervention frequency (Part 4): category A, 92 or higher, 'at least every 6 months'; B, 72 to 91, every 12 months; C, 52 to 71, every 18 months; D, 31 to 51, every 24 months; E, 0 to 30, every 36 months. Manufacturers of high-risk food and wholesalers who re-wrap high-risk food start at 40 points for type of food, caterers handling open high-risk food at 30.
What's agreed, and what isn't
An establishment is 'broadly compliant' if it scores no more than 10 on each of hygiene, structure and confidence in management; for broadly compliant category C premises the Code lets authorities alternate full inspections with other official control methods. The October 2025 Code still uses categories A to E; we found no replacement food hygiene intervention rating scheme in force in England, and a 2025 consultation (outcome published June 2026) covered new-business triage, rating changes after remote controls and category E clarification rather than a new scoring model. Approved (Regulation 853/2004) establishments always get a physical inspection or audit regardless of rating. Wales and Northern Ireland have their own Codes on the same FSA page.
How is a food hygiene rating actually worked out, and where does temperature control come into it?Guidance
Under the FSA's Brand Standard (Revision 8, June 2023), the rating is calculated from three elements of the food hygiene intervention rating scheme in the Food Law Code of Practice: compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures 'including food handling practices and procedures, and temperature control'; compliance with structural requirements; and confidence in management/control procedures (paragraph 3.2). Hygiene and structure are each scored 0 to 25 in steps of 5; confidence in management is scored 0, 5, 10, 20 or 30. The three are added, and the total is mapped to a rating, but the highest single score also caps the rating (Table 3). A total of 0 to 15 with no individual score above 5 gives a 5; a total of 20 with no score above 10 gives a 4; 25 to 30 with no score above 10 gives a 3; 35 to 40 with no score above 15 gives a 2; 45 to 50 with no score above 20 gives a 1; above 50 gives a 0. The Brand Standard's own example: scores of 5, 5 and 20 total 30 but give a rating of 1 (Table 4).
What's agreed, and what isn't
Temperature control sits inside the hygiene element, so one poor temperature finding can cap the whole rating even if structure and management score well. The Brand Standard applies to England; Wales and Northern Ireland use statutory guidance under their own Acts, which the FSA publishes alongside it, but the scoring basis is the same intervention rating scheme. The document says no rating can be based on self-assessment by the business. Scotland does not use this scheme (see the FHIS item).
What does the FSA say a HACCP-based system must include for temperature control?Guidance
The FSA says your food safety management system 'must meet the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles': identify hazards, identify critical control points, 'set limits for the CCPs', 'monitor the CCPs', put checks in place to make sure the system is working, put things right when a CCP fails, and 'keep records of your food safety systems, checks and how you've put things right'. It adds: 'If your business is involved in a food safety incident, you will need to show your records as evidence.' It lists temperature checks as a usual part of a system.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The FSA's HACCP guidance describes MyHACCP as a free tool 'aimed at small food manufacturing businesses in the UK', including those with 'fifty or fewer employees'; SFBB and Safe Catering are the simpler route for caterers and retailers. The FSA pages do not set monitoring frequencies, critical limit values, record retention or calibration intervals; they are silent and leave these to each business's plan, which your local food safety team can advise on.
What must CCP temperature monitoring records contain under BRCGS Issue 9, and how is HACCP verified?Guidance
Clause 2.10.1 requires a monitoring procedure for each CCP that can detect loss of control and, wherever possible, give information in time for corrective action; continuous measurement such as thermographs is listed as an option. Clause 2.10.2 says CCP records must include date, time and result, be signed by the person monitoring and verified where appropriate by a competent, authorised person; electronic records need evidence that they were checked and verified. Clause 2.12.2 requires verification procedures, such as internal audits and review of records where limits were exceeded, to confirm the HACCP plan stays effective.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard. For automated monitoring, 'signed' is generally met through electronic sign-off or review, but the standard does not specify how often electronic records must be reviewed; that is unclear and auditors differ. Critical limits must be measurable, for example time and temperature (2.9.1), and validated (2.9.2). SALSA Issue 7 clauses 2.10 to 2.13 cover the same Codex steps in shorter form.
What records does SFBB expect: the daily diary and the 4-weekly review?Guidance
SFBB says the manager should sign the diary every day to confirm the opening and closing checks were done and the safe methods followed. Opening checks include that 'Your fridges, chilled display equipment and freezers are working properly' and that the probe thermometer is working; closing checks include that ''Prove it' checks have been recorded'. The 4-weekly review looks back over four weeks of diary entries; if 'the same thing went wrong three times or more', record why and what you did, and it 'requires completion even if no problems have been found'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
SFBB answers 'Do I need to keep lots of daily records?' with 'No, but as a minimum, you need to fill in the diary each day', adding that larger or more complex businesses may need more. The diary records that checks happened; SFBB does not require the actual fridge readings to be written down each day, though it suggests some temperature checks may be recorded. Whether a business needs logged readings is a decision for its own system and the EHO.
How much formal food hygiene enforcement do local authorities take, and how much of it is about temperature?Interpretation
The FSA's annual local authority performance paper to its Board (September 2025, covering 2024/25) reports 6,199 formal enforcement actions for food hygiene in 2024/25 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a 5% increase on the previous year and 30% above pre-pandemic levels. A March 2026 update gives the pre-pandemic baseline as 4,784 establishments. The same paper reports 61,235 food hygiene complaints in 2024/25 and that the share of due food hygiene interventions carried out rose from about 52% in 2024 to 62% in April 2025.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The published figures are not broken down by the reason for enforcement, so there is no national figure for the share relating to temperature control or HACCP; the FSA papers are silent on this. They also do not split formal action by type (hygiene improvement notices, prohibitions, prosecutions) in the narrative. The FSA links the rise partly to businesses not getting timely inspections. An older GOV.UK statistics series, 'Local Authority Food Law Enforcement Returns', exists; the most recent edition we located there is 2018/19, and we did not check its contents or whether later editions exist elsewhere.
What share of food businesses get a low hygiene rating, and how big is the inspection backlog?Interpretation
Our Food 2024 (FSA and FSS, published June 2025) reports that as of December 2024, 96.9% of businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had a rating of 3 or better, 76.6% (365,133) had a 5, and 3.1% (14,633) scored 2 or below, meaning they 'require substantial improvement'. It reports a backlog in England, Wales and Northern Ireland of 95,000 overdue inspections, including 871 high-risk businesses. Among notified food incidents in 2024, meat and meat products were the largest category (15%), partly linked to poor or insufficient food safety controls, which the report says include 'concerns over temperature controls and poor hygiene during processing or transport of meat'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Ratings may reflect inspections two or more years old because of the backlog, which the report itself notes. The report does not quantify how many low ratings or incidents involve temperature control; temperature is named only as an example. Figures for Scotland use FHIS and are reported separately (92.6% Pass).
Do we have to display our food hygiene rating sticker?Law
In Wales, section 7 of the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013 says that once notified the operator 'must display the food hygiene rating sticker provided', after the 21-day appeal period. In Northern Ireland, section 7 of the Food Hygiene Rating Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 says the operator 'must ensure that a valid sticker showing the establishment's food hygiene rating is displayed'. In England display is voluntary: the FSA's business guidance says 'You can display your rating in your premises' window or door'. All ratings are published online whether or not a sticker is shown.
What's agreed, and what isn't
England and the devolved nations differ only on display; the scoring basis is shared. Location and manner of display in Wales and Northern Ireland are set by regulations made under each Act, which this item does not cover. Scotland runs a different scheme (FHIS) where display is also not required.
How long can chilled food be on display above 8 °C in England?Law
Paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 4 gives a defence if the food was for service or on display for sale, had not previously been kept for service or display above 8 °C (or the recommended temperature), and 'had been kept for service or on display for sale for a period of less than four hours'. The four-hour figure is in the chill provisions; the separate two-hour figure applies to hot holding below 63 °C (paragraph 7(2)).
What's agreed, and what isn't
It is a one-off allowance: food that has already had a period of display above 8 °C cannot use it again. The burden is on the business to prove the time, so a record of when food went out is what makes the defence usable. The regulation is silent on how that time should be recorded. Wales and Northern Ireland have the same four-hour defence; Scotland differs, exempting food 'exposed for sale' from its chill requirement altogether.
Is there a legal cooling time for cooked food?Law
No fixed time. Annex II, Chapter IX, paragraph 6 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 says foods to be held or served chilled 'are to be cooled as quickly as possible following the heat-processing stage, or final preparation stage if no heat process is applied, to a temperature which does not result in a risk to health'. Paragraph 7 says thawing is to minimise pathogen growth, foods are to be 'subjected to temperatures that would not result in a risk to health', and risky run-off liquid is to be adequately drained.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The regulation does not specify a cooling time or end temperature; numeric cooling targets come from guidance and the business's HACCP plan. Scotland's Schedule 4, para 2(2)(c), repeats the 'as quickly as possible' wording for food being cooled. For fishery products, 853/2004 says 'Rapid cooling must follow cooking' until 'a temperature approaching that of melting ice' if no other preservation is used.
Is there a legal reheating temperature?Law
In Scotland, yes. Paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 4 to the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 requires food that has been heated in a commercial operation and is then reheated before being served for immediate consumption or exposed for sale to be 'raised to a temperature of not less than 82°C'. Paragraph 3(3) gives a defence where the food 'could not have been raised to a temperature of not less than 82°C without a deterioration of its qualities'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The regimes differ. The England, Wales and Northern Ireland Schedules contain no reheating temperature at all; they only refer to 'cooked or reheated' food in the hot holding rules. Any reheating figure used in those nations comes from guidance or the business's own HACCP, not from Schedule 4. The Scottish law is silent on how long the 82 °C must be held.
What temperature must hot food be held at in England, and is there a time allowance below 63 °C?Law
Paragraph 6 of Schedule 4 makes it an offence to keep, below 63 °C, food that has been cooked or reheated, is for service or on display for sale, and needs to be kept at or above 63 °C to control pathogen growth or toxin formation. Paragraph 7 gives two defences: (1) a 'well-founded scientific assessment' concluding there is no risk at a lower holding temperature for a specified time, with the food held in line with it; or (2) the food 'had been kept for service or on display for sale for a period of less than two hours' and had not previously been so kept by that person.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The two-hour allowance is for hot holding, not chilled display (which has four hours). Like the chill tolerance, it can only be used once by that person. Wales and Northern Ireland have the same 63 °C and two-hour wording. Scotland's text differs: its offence is keeping food otherwise than chilled or 'at a temperature above 63°C', and it has no two-hour defence; instead food exposed for sale is outside the requirement. The law does not specify how often hot holding temperatures should be checked.
Do we have to reheat food to 82 °C in Scotland?Guidance
Yes. The FSA guidance (paragraphs 62 to 66) says that in Scotland reheated foods 'must be raised to a temperature of not less than 82ºC' and that 'There is no equivalent requirement in the rest of the U.K.' There is a defence where the food 'could not have been raised to a temperature of not less than 82ºC without a deterioration of its qualities'. CookSafe tells caterers to reheat 'until the core temperature is not less than 82°C', with an alternative such as '70°C for 2 minutes' where 82 °C would spoil the food, and to reheat only once.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is a clear difference between nations: England, Wales and Northern Ireland guidance uses time and temperature combinations (for example 70 °C for 2 minutes, or 75 °C in Safe Catering) with no fixed legal reheating temperature. The 82 °C rule applies to food heated in a commercial operation and reheated before serving or display. Once food exceeds 82 °C it may then be held above 63 °C.
Does SFBB say hot food must be cooled within 90 minutes?Guidance
No. The current SFBB caterers 'Chilling down hot food' safe method says to chill cooked food you will not serve immediately 'as quickly as possible and then put it in the fridge', and lists methods (smaller portions, shallow trays, cold water or ice, stirring, a blast chiller). It gives no time limit. Instead it asks you to prove your method once by probing the food after cooking and 'at regular intervals' to see how fast it cools. The FSA temperature control guidance (paragraph 18) says cooling time 'must be consistent with food safety' and that 'Cooling will always be a step that is critical to food safety.'
What's agreed, and what isn't
The widely quoted 90-minute figure is not in the current SFBB caterers pack (we searched the full pack). Other official guidance does give times, and they differ: Northern Ireland's Safe Catering says put cooled food in the fridge or freezer 'within two hours'; Scotland's ButcherSafe says cool small items 'for no longer than 90 minutes at ambient temperature', and gives longer schedules for joints. The law (Regulation 852/2004 Annex II Chapter IX point 6) says only 'as quickly as possible'. Agree a validated cooling time with your EHO or set one in your HACCP plan.
Does the FSA E. coli O157 guidance require separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food?Guidance
Not strictly. The FSA's E. coli O157 cross-contamination guidance is mainly about separation, cleaning and disinfection, not temperatures. On storage it says: 'If possible use separate storage and display facilities for raw and ready-to-eat food.' The same fridge can be used 'if the storage space is of sufficient size and the food is stored in such a way that contamination is avoided', which often means raw food stored below ready-to-eat food. Separate refrigerators, freezers and display units are described as good practice.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The document's only temperature content in this area is a quotation of the general cold chain duty in Regulation 852/2004 Annex II Chapter IX point 5; it sets no storage temperature. It is FSA guidance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (version 4, 2019; republished on GOV.UK on 23 January 2024), with a separate publication for Scotland. Its main temperature figure is for disinfection (boiling water above 80 °C), which is outside monitoring of chilled storage.
How do hygiene ratings work in Scotland, and how many businesses pass?Guidance
Scotland uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS), run by Food Standards Scotland with the 32 local authorities. An inspection gives either 'Pass' (the business meets the legal food hygiene requirements) or 'Improvement Required' (it 'didn't meet the legal requirements and needs to make improvements'). The FSA and FSS Our Food 2024 review reports that 92.6% of Scottish businesses in the scheme had a Pass as of December 2024, and that 17.2% (12,533 of 72,950) of registered businesses were unrated in December 2024.
What's agreed, and what isn't
FHIS has two outcomes rather than six, so it is not directly comparable with FHRS figures. The FSS consumer page says businesses 'may choose not to display their rating'; it does not say display is mandatory. FHIS outcomes sit on top of the Scottish Food Law Rating System, which is separate from the English intervention rating scheme. FSS does not publish a breakdown of Improvement Required outcomes by cause, so the share relating to temperature control is not known.
How long can chilled food sit out on a buffet or counter?Guidance
SFBB says cold food on display should be kept at 8 °C or below in suitable chilled display equipment. Where that is not possible there is a 'four hour rule' exception: food can be displayed out of chilled storage 'for up to four hours, but you can only do this once'. Food out for less than four hours can go back in the fridge at 8 °C or below until used; 'If it has been out for more than four hours it must be thrown away.' The FSA's temperature control guidance (paragraphs 42 to 44) explains this as a legal defence that allows a single period of less than four hours.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The four-hour rule is a defence in the England, Wales and Northern Ireland regulations, and the business must be able to prove it (labels with the time out, or a diary note, are what SFBB suggests). It applies once only. The FSA guidance notes that Scotland's regulations specify no such tolerance periods. A business using it still needs its HACCP-based procedures to control the hazard (guidance paragraph 46).
How quickly does the FSAI expect cooked food to be cooled in a kitchen?Guidance
The FSAI says food that will not be eaten immediately 'should be cooled as quickly as possible and put in the fridge within two hours'. It suggests blast chillers, smaller portions, shallow containers, ice baths and stirring to achieve this. The FSAI Safe Catering record form SC3 repeats the rule ('cool food as quickly as possible and place in fridge within 2 hours') and asks for the time cooking finished and the time the food went into the fridge or blast chiller to be recorded.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The two-hour figure is time to the fridge, not a time to reach a set core temperature. Cook-chill operations are held to a tighter, temperature-based standard in FSAI Guidance Note 15 (≤3 °C within 150 minutes) and industrial heat-chill processors to Guidance Note 20. Irish law does not specify a cooling time; the EU requirement is that cooling is done 'as quickly as possible' to a temperature that does not result in a risk to health (852/2004, Annex II, Chapter IX). UK FSA guidance uses a different, chill-to-temperature approach, so cooling rules differ between the two jurisdictions.
Is there any official guidance with specific cooling times for cooked meat?Guidance
Yes, FSS's ButcherSafe temperature control house rules. It says 'Active cooling should start within 90 minutes of the end of cooking', with the aim of cooling to 5 °C as quickly as possible through the 'temperature danger zone (from 63˚C to 5˚C)'. Small items such as pies should be cooled 'for no longer than 90 minutes at ambient temperature' before chilled storage. For uncured joints it gives good practice of 1 hour to 50 °C, 6 hours from 50 °C to 12 °C and 1 hour from 12 °C to 5 °C (8 hours total, 10 hours maximum); cured joints such as hams total 10 hours (12½ hours maximum).
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is Scottish guidance for butchers, not a legal limit, and the danger zone it uses (63 °C to 5 °C) differs from the FSA consumer guidance (8 °C to 63 °C). It says the cooling method must be validated and then followed exactly, including quantity and weight. It recommends a calibrated thermograph or data logger where staff are not present to probe at the end of overnight cooking. England's SFBB gives no cooling time.
What are the FSAI time and temperature limits for a cook-chill system in catering?Guidance
FSAI Guidance Note No. 15 (Revision 2, 2018) says a cook-chill system must include cooking to a core of 75 °C instantaneously (or equivalent), 'rapid chilling to ≤3 °C in not greater than 150 minutes', storage at ≤3 °C and regeneration to ≥70 °C before service. Chilling should start within 30 minutes of cooking finishing and reach ≤3 °C at the centre within a further 120 minutes. Cook-chill shelf life must not exceed five days, including the day of production and the day of consumption. If food rises above 5 °C but not above 10 °C in storage or distribution, it should be consumed within four hours.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Large whole meat joints have a separate target: ≤3 °C within six hours, with no more than four hours between 50 °C and 12 °C. GN15 asks for a calibrated probe 'with an accuracy of ± 0.5 °C'. Note that GN15 lists frozen deliveries as 'Frozen food ≥ –18 °C', which appears to be a typographical error for ≤ −18 °C; the FSAI's own Safe Catering forms say 'less than or equal to −18 °C'. The guidance note says it 'is not a legal document', so the figures are guidance, but inspectors use them.
What are the Irish figures for hot holding and reheating, and how do they compare with the UK?Guidance
The FSAI advises keeping hot food 'above 63° C (for example in a bain marie)' and says that if cooked food is not stored above 63 °C 'it should be used up within two hours of cooking'. Food must only be reheated once following cooking or hot holding, to 'greater than or equal to 70° C at the core'. Cooking should reach a core of 75 °C instantaneously or an equivalent such as 70 °C for two minutes.
What's agreed, and what isn't
In Ireland these are guidance figures; no Irish statute sets them. The UK nations differ: in England, Schedule 4 paragraph 6 of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 makes hot holding below 63 °C an offence (with a two-hour defence), and in Scotland, Schedule 4 paragraph 3 of the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 requires reheated food to reach 'not less than 82°C' unless that would spoil its quality. A business operating on both islands should design to 82 °C reheating for Scottish sites and can use 70 °C in Ireland. FSAI Guidance Note 15 adds that regenerated cook-chill food held hot should typically be held no longer than two hours, for quality reasons.
What core temperature does the FSA say food must reach when cooked or reheated?Guidance
The FSA's business guidance says: 'Standard advice is to cook food until it has reached a core temperature of 70°C for 2 minutes.' Other safe combinations it lists are 60 °C for 45 minutes, 65 °C for 10 minutes, 75 °C for 30 seconds and 80 °C for 6 seconds. For reheating it says 'Reheating means cooking food again, not just warming it up', reheat until steaming hot all the way through, and only reheat once. SFBB's reheating safe method points back to the same cooking time and temperature combinations.
What's agreed, and what isn't
England and Wales guidance sets no single legal reheating temperature. Scotland differs: reheated food must reach not less than 82 °C by law (see the Scotland reheating item). Northern Ireland's Safe Catering pack uses 75 °C as its example critical limit for cooking and reheating. The figures are core (centre or thickest part) temperatures, measured with a clean, disinfected probe.
What temperature must hot-held food be kept at, and what is the two-hour rule?Guidance
SFBB's 'Hot holding' safe method says: 'Hot food must be kept at 63°C or above, except for certain exceptions.' If hot holding equipment cannot be used for display, you can take food out of hot holding 'for up to two hours, but you can only do this once'. After that it should be reheated until steaming hot and returned to hot holding, or chilled down as quickly as possible to 8 °C or below; if it has been out for more than two hours, throw it away. Prove it with a disinfected probe in the centre or thickest part.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The two-hour period is a defence under the England, Wales and Northern Ireland regulations (FSA temperature control guidance paragraphs 57 to 58). Scotland differs: food must be kept 'above 63ºC' (not 'at or above'), and no tolerance period is specified. SFBB does not specify how often hot-held food should be probed. Northern Ireland's Safe Catering pack says that if hot food is on display for more than two hours, measure the temperature every two hours.
What temperature should chilled and frozen deliveries be when we accept them?Guidance
SFBB gives no delivery temperature. Its stock control method says to check deliveries to make sure food 'has been kept cold enough', carry out 'regular delivery time, temperature and quality spot checks', and reject a delivery you think has not been handled safely. Northern Ireland's Safe Catering gives figures: make sure chilled ready-to-eat food 'is delivered below 8 °C' and reject it if above 8 °C; frozen food should be delivered frozen and rejected if showing signs of defrosting. Its delivery record says that for large deliveries, 'monitor one or two food products'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The figures differ between guides. Scotland's CookSafe and RetailSafe suggest your own specified temperature, 'for example 5°C or below' for chilled and '–18°C or below' for frozen. Safe Catering also says some manufacturers specify lower storage temperatures, and you must check these are not exceeded on delivery. No FSA or FSS guide sets a tolerance for frozen deliveries; the legal tolerances for quick-frozen food sit in separate regulations. Put your acceptance limits in your supplier agreement.
What do real prosecutions involving temperature control look like?Interpretation
In a case published by Hillingdon Council in May 2025, a takeaway pleaded guilty to seven offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 after officers found a broken fridge, a walk-in freezer 'sounding an alarm displaying a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius', no shelf-life or temperature controls for cooked and hot food, and dirty probe thermometers with no means to sanitise them. It received a 0 rating and hygiene improvement notices, and was ordered to pay £16,491.20. In a Kirklees Council case (May 2025), chilled foods 'were shown to be far above the legal limit of 8°C', notices were not complied with, and the owner was ordered to pay £6,672.33.
What's agreed, and what isn't
These are individual council press releases, not a national dataset; in both, temperature was one of several failings alongside cleaning, training and non-compliance with notices. They show the usual sequence: inspection findings, a low rating, improvement notices, revisits, then prosecution for continued breaches. No national data break out how many prosecutions cite temperature control.
How long does SALSA require records to be kept, and what does it say about vehicles?Guidance
SALSA Food & Drink Production Issue 7, clause 3.5.2, requires all documents and completed records relating to product safety, legality and quality to be genuine, legible, kept in good condition and stored securely 'for at least the shelf-life of the products plus one year'. Clause 1.12.1 requires storage and transport to be fit for purpose and capable of maintaining product and facility temperature where applicable, says all transport 'should be inspected before loading', and requires records. Clause 1.12.4 requires transit trials, with records, where products go by courier or post.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The same retention rule (3.5.2) and vehicle clause (1.12.1) appear in Brokers, Storage & Distribution Issue 2. SALSA's 'should' on pre-loading inspection is softer than 'shall'. The standard does not specify in-transit temperature logging; it is silent on loggers for vehicles, unlike BRCGS 4.16.3.
What do the BRCGS Storage and Distribution Issue 4 goods-in rule and optional modules add on temperature?Guidance
Clause 7.1.1 requires processes to confirm that measurable conditions such as temperature meet requirements before goods are accepted. The cross-docking module (11.4.1) requires process parameters critical to product safety, such as transfers between temperature-controlled and ambient areas, removal of temperature-sensitive product before loading and unforeseen delays, to be validated, controlled, monitored at a suitable frequency and recorded, with defined acceptable and unacceptable limits. The e-commerce module (12.5) requires packaging systems for temperature-sensitive products to be validated, with the cooling media and critical temperature limits defined, and supplier validation backed by an independent transit test (12.5.2). The contract chilling and freezing module (section 17) requires real-time temperature recording linked to an automatic failure alarm, or manual checks where appropriate, at a frequency that allows intervention (17.3), and the product owner told immediately of any failure or deviation (17.4).
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard and SD404. Temperature-controlled storage (7.3) and vehicles (5.4) are core requirements wherever temperature control applies; the modules apply only where the site does that activity. Position Statement 20 (effective 10 August 2026) rewords 17.3 to cover any process parameter, says alarm settings must be adequate for the process and adds a manual-check guide of every 2 hours chilled and 4 hours frozen; Position Statement 19 adds irradiation to section 17. None of these sets an alarm delay or set point.
What do the SALSA standards require for temperature monitoring and calibration?Guidance
SALSA Food & Drink Production Issue 7 (June 2026), clause 1.5.2, requires documented environmental controls to be monitored so facilities keep raw materials, work-in-progress, finished products and packaging 'within a safe temperature range', with records kept. Clause 1.5.4 (External Calibration) requires environment monitoring devices 'such as temperature probes and recorders', where essential for legality and food safety, to be calibrated to defined accuracy 'at a pre-determined frequency'. Clause 1.5.5 requires regular in-house verification checks of all measuring devices, adjusted if necessary, with records. Clause 1.5.3 requires procedures for equipment failure. SALSA Brokers, Storage & Distribution Issue 2 has matching clauses 1.5.2 to 1.5.5.
What's agreed, and what isn't
SALSA is aimed at small producers and is shorter than BRCGS. It does not specify a monitoring frequency, alarm requirements, a calibration interval or traceability to national standards; it is silent where BRCGS 4.15.3 and 6.4 are explicit. All SALSA audits from 1 September 2026 use the new issues, with no transition period. The SALSA 'Standard' page still listed the old issues when checked, so rely on the new-issues page.
What does BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 require for monitoring temperature-controlled storage?Guidance
Clause 4.15.3 says that where temperature control is required, the storage area must be able to hold product within specification and be run so that specified temperatures are kept. Sites must either fit temperature recording equipment with suitable alarms to all storage facilities, or run recorded manual checks, 'typically on at least a 4-hourly basis' or at a frequency that allows intervention before product goes out of limits. Clause 4.15.1 adds risk-based procedures, for example for moving chilled and frozen product between temperature-controlled areas.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard. The 4-hour figure is qualified by 'typically', so a site can justify another frequency, but it must allow intervention in time; auditors will expect the justification. The clause does not specify alarm set points, alarm delays or who must respond out of hours; mapping is not in 4.15 but in process control: 6.1.5 names temperature distribution in freezers and cold stores as something to validate and verify at a risk-based frequency (Storage and Distribution Issue 4 covers stores in 7.3.7). Issue 9 is the current issue; none of its four position statements (F926 version 4, effective 10 August 2026) changes 4.15, 4.16, 6.1 or 6.4.
Are temperature monitoring or calibration among the most common BRCGS audit non-conformities?Interpretation
We found no primary BRCGS page listing top non-conformities. A certification body's datasheet based on more than 72,000 audits lists hygiene (4.11.1) as the most common global non-conformity, then chemical control, equipment risk management, doors and pest prevention, walls, ceilings and floors, and traceability and labelling, with seven of the top eight in Section 4. Calibration (6.4) and storage temperature (4.15) do not appear in that top list. A Campden BRI review of early Issue 9 data (October 2023) gave the top majors as audit due dates (1.1.10), cleanliness (4.11.1) and pest management (4.14.1).
What's agreed, and what isn't
These are interpretation sources (a certification body and a research organisation), not BRCGS's own data. The datasheet gives counts only for some clauses and uses a clause numbering style (for example 4.4.0.8) that differs from the published standard. Calibration and temperature findings still occur but are not in the published top lists; we could not verify their frequency.
Does UK law say how often to check temperatures, when to alarm, or how often to calibrate?Law
No. Regulation 852/2004 Article 5 requires 'effective monitoring procedures', corrective actions and verification 'carried out regularly', with records 'commensurate with the nature and size of the food business', but sets no frequency. Schedule 4 of the England, Wales and Northern Ireland regulations sets the 8 °C and 63 °C limits and time defences but no checking regime. Regulation 37/2005 requires frozen recording 'at frequent and regular intervals' and EN-compliant instruments, but sets no interval.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The law is silent on: how often to check or log (manual checks per day, or logger interval); alarm thresholds and alarm delays; calibration or verification frequency for probes and loggers; temperature mapping of cold rooms or vehicles; and record retention for chilled food (only 'an appropriate period'). These are business decisions that should be written into the HACCP plan with a reason, and agreed with the enforcing authority or certification body where they have a view.
How long must an Irish food business keep its temperature and HACCP records?Law
Irish law sets the periods. S.I. No. 369 of 2006, Regulation 5, makes it an offence to fail to retain HACCP documents and records for: three months after the expiry of the 'use by' date (Regulation 5(3)); one year after the expiry of the 'best before' or 'best before end' date (Regulation 5(4)); and three months after sale for foodstuffs for immediate consumption (Regulation 5(5)). FSAI Guidance Note 15 repeats these periods for cook-chill records, which should include temperature monitoring and calibration records.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This differs from the UK, where the UK's version of Regulation 852/2004 asks for documents and records 'commensurate with the nature and size of the food business' and no fixed retention period is set in statute. The Irish periods cover records under Article 5 of 852/2004; quick-frozen air temperature recordings have their own minimum of at least one year (S.I. 370/1995, Regulation 7), and traceability records are treated separately. S.I. 369/2006 applies to HSE-supervised businesses; businesses under S.I. 22/2020 should check their own conditions of approval.
Do BRCGS standards require temperature mapping of a cold store or chiller, and how often?Guidance
BRCGS Storage and Distribution Issue 4, clause 7.3.7, requires that where temperature, humidity or controlled-atmosphere stores are used, the uniformity of the condition (for example temperature distribution) is 'established, validated and verified at a frequency based on risk', or that restrictions on product placement are identified. Clause 7.3.8 requires performance to be re-established after changes to equipment. BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9, clause 6.1.5, says that where conditions can vary within equipment critical to safety or quality, its characteristics are validated and verified at a frequency based on risk and performance, and gives temperature distribution in freezers and cold stores as an example.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard. Mapping frequency is not specified; it is risk-based. The standard is silent on the number of sensors, test duration, loaded versus empty studies, or seasonal repeats. Food Safety Issue 9 puts mapping in process control (6.1.5) rather than storage (4.15), and sets no method either. A business needs its own decision, for example map at commissioning, after layout or refrigeration changes, and periodically; agree it with your auditor.
Does the 8 °C rule apply to the air in the fridge or to the food, and does the FSA expect temperature logging?Guidance
The FSA's temperature control guidance (paragraph 27) says: 'The requirement is for the temperature of the food, not the surrounding air.' On monitoring, paragraph 21 says chill holding is 'very often critical to food safety', that 'Temperature monitoring and logging may be helpful as part of food safety management procedures', and that a need for monitoring and record keeping 'commensurate with the nature and size of the business' is indicated by Article 5 of Regulation 852/2004. Paragraph 20 notes SFBB, CookSafe and Safe Catering include 'limited temperature monitoring and recording' to avoid undue burden on smaller businesses.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The guidance does not require loggers, alarms or a set monitoring frequency; it is silent on these and leaves them to the business's HACCP-based procedures. Air readings from a built-in display are a proxy: CookSafe notes displays 'indicate the air temperature', and Safe Catering says for transport 'the temperature of the food is measured and not the temperature of food holding equipment'. Sensor placement and food-simulant probes are a business decision not covered by FSA or FSS guidance.
How does BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 expect temperature probes and loggers to be calibrated?Guidance
Clause 6.4.1 requires a documented list of measuring equipment used for CCPs and product safety, legality and quality, with location, identification code and calibration due date, protected from unauthorised adjustment and damage. Clause 6.4.2 requires each device to be checked and, where necessary, adjusted at a predetermined, risk-based frequency, to a method traceable to a recognised national or international standard where possible, with results documented. Clause 6.4.3 requires reference equipment to be calibrated with traceability and says calibration uncertainty must be considered when assessing critical limits. Clause 6.4.4 requires recorded actions when a device is found out of limits, and action so at-risk product is not offered for sale.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard. The standard does not specify a calibration interval (for example annual) or an accuracy tolerance; both are left to risk assessment. 'Where possible' softens traceability for working devices, but reference thermometers must be traceable. In practice, protecting at-risk product means looking back at product measured since the last good check; that is good practice rather than the clause's wording, and the standard does not say how far back, so define it in your procedure. SALSA 1.5.4 is similar but lighter. BRCGS Storage and Distribution 6.3 goes further: devices measuring product safety, legality and quality must be traceable to a recognised national standard, with no 'where possible' (6.3.3); the product owner is told when a device is found inaccurate (6.3.5); and self-calibrating devices are verified at a set frequency (6.3.6).
How long must a storage or distribution site keep temperature records under BRCGS?Guidance
BRCGS Storage and Distribution Issue 4, clause 3.1.3.1, says records must be legible, genuine and kept for a defined period that reflects product shelf life and any customer or legal requirements, 'but shall never be less than 1 year'. Position Statement 20 (effective 10 August 2026) adds, for clause 17.3 process records, that records must be checked and kept 'for a minimum of shelf life + 1 year' as they could be needed for a due diligence defence.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased, with short quotes checked against the standard and the position statement. The general clause and the position statement differ (minimum 1 year versus shelf life plus 1 year for contract chilling and freezing records). Food Safety Issue 9 uses shelf life plus 12 months. For quick-frozen food, retained Regulation (EC) No 37/2005 Article 2(3) separately requires temperature records to be kept at least one year, or longer given the shelf life.
How long must temperature records be kept under BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9?Guidance
Clause 3.3.2 says records must be kept for a defined period, considering legal and customer requirements and product shelf life, including any shelf life extension by the consumer, such as freezing, where stated on the label. 'At a minimum, records shall be retained for the shelf life of the product plus 12 months.' Clause 3.3.1 requires electronic records to be stored securely and backed up.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard. For long-life or frozen products this can mean several years. Issue 9 is silent on a floor for very short shelf-life products beyond the 12 months. BRCGS Storage and Distribution Issue 4 (3.1.3.1) differ: retention reflects shelf life and customer or legal needs 'but shall never be less than 1 year'. SALSA uses shelf life plus one year. Customers may require longer, so check contracts.
How long should we keep temperature records?Guidance
Northern Ireland's Safe Catering pack (FSA) is the only FSA or FSS guide we found that gives a figure: 'It is recommended that you keep records for at least 12 months.' It adds that your legal advisors may recommend longer, or your EHO may ask you to keep them 'at least until his/her next inspection'. It also says records may be useful 'as part of a due diligence defence'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
SFBB is silent on how long to keep the diary or temperature records; it only says to keep purchase records, ideally 'until you are sure that the food they refer to has been consumed without any problems'. Scotland's CookSafe and RetailSafe say HACCP records must be retained 'for an appropriate period of time', and that your enforcement officer can advise on the timeframe. So the period is unclear in law and differs between guides. Many businesses choose at least 12 months, or longer where product shelf life or customer contracts require it.
How often does SFBB say we must check fridge and chilled display temperatures?Guidance
SFBB's 'Chilled storage and displaying chilled food' safe method says you should check fridges and chilled display equipment 'at least once a day starting with your opening checks'. If you rely on the unit's digital display or dial, you 'should check regularly' that it is accurate using a fridge thermometer or probe thermometer. To confirm equipment is working properly, it says to check temperatures 'in-between packs of chilled food using a clean, disinfected probe thermometer'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Once a day is a minimum for small caterers and retailers using SFBB. It does not specify how often to cross-check the display against a thermometer ('regularly'). The Northern Ireland Safe Catering pack says the same ('at least once per day') and adds that 'some businesses may wish to check fridges more frequently'; its record sheet has AM and PM columns. CookSafe (Scotland) leaves the frequency to the business but calls a start-of-day check plus a check 'at some other part of the day' advisable. None of these documents mention continuous loggers or alarms; they are silent on them, neither requiring nor excluding them.
How often does the FSAI say temperature probes and loggers should be calibrated, and to what accuracy?Guidance
FSAI Guidance Note No. 20 says daily or working thermometers should be calibrated 'at least annual or at shorter intervals determined by risk assessment', and reference thermometers as the manufacturer specifies or by risk assessment but 'at least every three years'. Working instruments should have a minimum accuracy of ±1.0 °C (preferably ±0.5 °C), be traceable to the International Temperature Scale ITS-90, and reference thermometers should have a test uncertainty ratio of at least 4:1. Where an external provider is used it should be accredited to ISO 17025, and data loggers 'should be calibrated before use'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
GN20 is written for industrial heat-chill processors; caterers get simpler FSAI advice (Temperature Control page) to check probes 'at least twice a year' in iced water (−0.5 to +0.5 °C) and boiling water (99.5 to 100.5 °C), with a probe accuracy of at least ±0.5 °C. GN20 also recommends reviewing calibration data every six months or more often (at a minimum annually) and keeping certificates on file. Neither Irish nor EU law specifies a calibration interval, so these are the clearest published Irish benchmarks; GN20 does not specify calibration intervals for fixed fridge or cold room sensors.
How often should fridges be checked and what delivery temperatures should we accept under the FSAI Safe Catering system?Guidance
The FSAI Safe Catering record book SC2 says fridge and freezer temperatures should be checked 'at least once per day', with an AM and PM column, and allows either food temperature (a dummy food or a core or surface probe) or air temperature (a probe in the unit or the display gauge). The delivery record SC1 and the transport record SC9 give acceptance figures of chilled food 0 °C to 5 °C, frozen food 'less than or equal to −18 °C' and hot food at or above 63 °C, and suggest checking one or two products from large deliveries.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Safe Catering is one of the Irish national guides on the EU register, so it carries weight with inspectors, but the once-a-day check is a minimum recommendation, not a legal frequency. The forms do not specify what to do between checks or how quickly to act on a high reading (the SC2 example shows a gauge adjusted and re-checked one hour later). Continuous monitoring is not required by the pack.
How should we check our probe thermometer is accurate, and how often?Guidance
SFBB's 'Prove it' safe method says the manufacturer's instructions should tell you how often to check a probe; if they are not available, check it regularly, 'for example once a month'. The simple check is iced water and boiling water: readings 'between -1°C and 1°C' in iced water and 'between 99°C and 101°C' in boiling water. Outside that range, replace the probe or return it to the manufacturer to be calibrated. The SFBB 4-weekly review asks: 'Have probes been calibrated in the last 4 weeks and results recorded?' Despite the wording, what SFBB describes is a check, not a calibration: it shows the probe still reads within about 1 °C, but it is not traceable and gives no error or uncertainty.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The tolerance (plus or minus 1 °C at 0 °C and 100 °C) is the same across SFBB, Safe Catering and CookSafe. The frequency differs: SFBB suggests monthly; Northern Ireland's Safe Catering says check 'at least twice a year' and record it on a calibration record; CookSafe has a monthly probe check sheet plus a yearly check of the electronic display unit. These are field checks, not traceable calibration. None of the documents say how often to calibrate fixed fridge sensors or loggers; they are silent on this.
How will an inspector check our chilled food temperatures, and will they trust our monitoring system?Guidance
The FSA's Food Law Practice Guidance (England), section 8.9.2, recommends a staged approach. Stage 1 is air temperature monitoring: records 'are an indication of temperature history, including defrost cycles, door openings and breakdowns' and a guide to how the system is functioning, but a single air reading is not product temperature. Stage 2 is non-destructive between-pack testing with a pre-cooled flat probe, with 'a total tolerance of +2.8ºC (0.8ºC as specified for instrument accuracy and 2ºC for the limitation of the methodology)'. Stage 3 is destructive product testing, starting with items from the warmest part of the unit, and is the method recommended 'to produce evidence for formal enforcement action'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The guidance says if there is no temperature monitoring system, or the officer has reasonable doubt about it, the officer should go to stage 2, and if satisfied at stage 1 or 2 no further action is needed. So a credible monitoring record can end the check at stage 1, but the guidance does not specify what makes a system credible (sensor placement, logging interval, alarm settings). It also recommends inviting the operator or manager to witness measurements taken for possible enforcement. This is non-statutory guidance for officers in England.
What accuracy and calibration does an EHO's own thermometer have to meet, and does that apply to ours?Guidance
Section 8.9.9 of the Food Law Practice Guidance (England) says systems used for enforcement should reach 90% of the final reading within 3 minutes, have 'an accuracy of +/-0.5ºC, or better' between -20 °C and +30 °C, and display to at least 0.1 °C. Section 8.9.5 says enforcement thermometers are to be periodically calibrated by a suitably accredited tester such as the manufacturer or a UKAS-accredited laboratory, with a certificate, checked between calibrations against a reference thermometer, and checked before and after measurements likely to result in enforcement. Without a reference, the sensor can be checked in wet ice at 0 °C, read after three minutes at a depth of at least 5 cm.
What's agreed, and what isn't
These requirements apply to the officer's equipment, not the business's. The guidance is silent on how accurate a business's probes or loggers must be or how often they must be calibrated. Many businesses use the officer standard as a benchmark because their readings may be compared with it. The guidance also notes a stage 2 reading 'might be up to 2ºC warmer than the true product temperature', which matters when comparing a between-pack reading with a logger.
What are EN 12830, EN 13485 and EN 13486?Guidance
BS EN 12830:2018, 'Temperature recorders for the transport, storage and distribution of temperature sensitive goods. Tests, performance, suitability', covers recorders between -80 °C and +85 °C, applies to the whole recording system (sensors built in or remote) and gives requirements on sensor location; it replaced EN 12830:1999. BS EN 13485:2023 covers thermometers for measuring ambient or internal temperature for the same uses (tests, performance, suitability). BS EN 13486:2023 covers periodic verification of those recorders and thermometers.
What's agreed, and what isn't
These are paid standards; we took titles and scope from BSI's catalogue pages, not the full text. Older editions were written for chilled, frozen and quick-frozen food and ice cream; the 2018 and 2023 editions cover 'temperature sensitive goods' generally. Law and ATP reference specific editions (ATP: EN 12830:2018 and EN 13486:2002), so editions differ between the law and the current catalogue. The standards do not by themselves set a verification interval for food businesses; that is unclear from public sources. In our view, an annual UKAS-accredited calibration across the recorder's working range meets the periodic verification EN 13486 describes (EN 13486 is licensed; we paraphrase). That is a JTF view, not a statement by UKAS or the standard.
What does BRCGS Storage and Distribution Issue 4 require for monitoring temperature in warehouses and cold stores?Guidance
Clause 7.3.2 says that where a storage area is temperature-controlled, temperature recording equipment with suitable alarms must be fitted to all storage facilities, or there must be recorded manual checks 'typically every 4 hours' or at a frequency that allows intervention before limits are exceeded. Clause 7.3.3 requires facilities to hold products within the temperature range in the product specification, and 7.3.5 requires procedures for equipment failure to establish, with the product owner, the safety and quality status before release.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Paraphrased; checked against the standard. A BRCGS position statement (SD404, Position Statement 20, effective 10 August 2026) gives interpretation for clause 17.3 (contract chilling, freezing, tempering and defrosting): where automatic temperature recording is not used, manual checks must continue at weekends and holidays, frequency may reduce when doors stay shut, and 'as a guide, unless otherwise justified' every 2 hours for chilled and every 4 hours for frozen products. It also says alarm settings on recording equipment must be adequate for the process. It is a guide for manual checks, not a weekend-only rule. That guidance is written for section 17, so whether auditors apply 2 hours to general chilled storage under 7.3.2 is unclear; the two figures differ. The standard does not specify alarm delays or set points.
Which Irish law actually governs food hygiene and temperature control, and is S.I. 432/2009 still the one to quote?Law
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 applies directly in Ireland and is given effect by different statutory instruments depending on who supervises the business. For businesses registered with and supervised by the HSE (most caterers, retailers and many manufacturers of non-animal-origin food) it is the European Communities (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 369 of 2006), as amended. For businesses supervised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority or local authorities it is the European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 22 of 2020). S.I. No. 432 of 2009 (European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2009) is no longer current: Regulation 37(1)(a) of S.I. No. 674 of 2019 revoked it, and Regulation 37(1) of S.I. No. 22 of 2020 then revoked the 2019 Regulations.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Enforcement powers (compliance notices, prohibition orders, closure orders) sit in a separate instrument, the European Union (Official Controls in relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 79 of 2020), alongside the FSAI Act 1998. S.I. 79/2020 did not replace S.I. 432/2009; its Regulation 36 revoked the Official Control of Foodstuffs Regulations 2010 and 2011. Which instrument applies depends on your supervising authority, so check your registration or approval if you are unsure. S.I. 369/2006 (as made and its four listed amendments), S.I. 22/2020 (as made) and S.I. 79/2020 contain no chill or hot-holding temperature.
Are the NSAI Irish Standards I.S. 340 and I.S. 341 recognised, and do we have to follow them?Guidance
The FSAI lists four Irish national guides currently on the EU register under Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004: I.S. 340:2007 Hygiene in the catering sector, I.S. 341:2007 Hygiene in food retailing and wholesaling, I.S. 432:2010 Packaged Groundwater, and the FSAI's Safe Catering guide. Use of such guides is voluntary, as an aid to compliance. NSAI describes I.S. 340 and I.S. 341 as 'voluntary Standards' that cover protecting the cold chain and HACCP, and issued amendments to both in 2015.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The standards are paid documents and their full temperature clauses were not checked for this item; FSAI Guidance Note 18 cites the NSAI 2015 standards as the source of the ≤5 °C recommendation. I.S. 342:2022 (HACCP-based food safety management for food processors, revised May 2022) is an NSAI guidance standard but is not on the FSAI's list of Irish guides on the EU register. Voluntary does not mean irrelevant: inspectors commonly assess against these guides.
Do Irish inspectors actually close businesses for temperature control failures?Interpretation
Yes. The FSAI reported 133 Enforcement Orders in 2024 (115 Closure, 16 Prohibition, 2 Improvement) and named 'failure to maintain correct temperatures of foodstuffs' among the recurring issues behind them.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The FSAI's round-up for 2025 reported 127 Enforcement Orders (102 Closure, 23 Prohibition, 2 Improvement), and the reasons for December 2025 closures included 'the use of an unrefrigerated vehicle for transporting meat with no controls in place to maintain the cold food chain'. Orders are served under the FSAI Act 1998 and Regulations 29 and 30 of S.I. 79/2020; a closure order can take effect immediately, and appeals go to the District Court within 7 days. Most orders cite pests and hygiene first, and the FSAI does not publish a count of orders where temperature was the main cause, so the share is unclear.
Does a cold store holding chilled meat or fish follow 853/2004 or the 8 °C rule?Law
Usually 853/2004. Article 4(2) says establishments handling products of animal origin for which Annex III lays down requirements 'shall not operate unless the competent authority has approved them'. The exceptions include establishments carrying out only 'transport operations', only 'the storage of products not requiring temperature-controlled storage conditions', and retail. A chilled cold store for meat or fish is therefore normally an approved establishment, and Schedule 4 of the England Regulations, with its 8 °C, 'does not apply' to operations covered by 853/2004 (paragraph 1(1)(a)).
What's agreed, and what isn't
Retail is outside 853/2004 unless it supplies other establishments, and Article 1(5)(b) says that even where such retail operations 'consist only of storage or transport', 'the specific temperature requirements laid down in Annex III shall nevertheless apply'. The FSA's VP/MAP guidance puts it plainly: establishments not subject to approval 'such as catering businesses and retailers' may lawfully store food at up to 8 °C. Ambient stores of products that need no temperature control do not need approval. Ask the FSA, FSS or your local authority if you are unsure whether your site needs approval.
Is minced meat 2 °C or 4 °C?Law
Minced meat is 2 °C. Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, Annex III, Section V, Chapter III, point 2(c) says that, immediately after production, minced meat and meat preparations must be wrapped or packaged and either 'chilled to an internal temperature of not more than 2 °C for minced meat and 4 °C for meat preparations' or 'frozen to an internal temperature of not more than -18 °C'. It adds: 'These temperature conditions must be maintained during storage and transport.' The 4 °C figure people remember is the one for meat preparations, such as sausages, burgers with added seasoning or marinated meat.
What's agreed, and what isn't
These are internal product temperatures for operations under 853/2004 (approved establishments), not air temperatures. Mechanically separated meat is also 2 °C, or −18 °C frozen (points 3 and 4), and point 5 says minced meat, meat preparations and MSM 'must not be re-frozen after thawing'. ATP also uses +2 °C for minced meat in international carriage. A retailer mincing to order for its own customers is outside 853/2004 and falls under the general chill rule (8 °C in England, Wales and Northern Ireland),. Northern Ireland follows the EU text, which has the same 2 °C and 4 °C figures.
Is there a legal temperature for storing potatoes?Law
Yes, for businesses making potato-based products such as chips and crisps. Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158 on acrylamide, Annex I, says food business operators with their own potato storage must ensure 'the temperature shall be appropriate to the potato variety stored and it shall be above 6 °C', and must ensure 'the temperature during the transportation of potatoes is not lower than the temperature regime applied during storage'. Cold storage raises sugars that form acrylamide on frying.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This applies to producers of potato-based products under the acrylamide regulation, not to every wholesaler or kitchen. For the home, the FSA changed its advice: it 'previously advised consumers against storage of raw potatoes in the fridge', but after a COT-reviewed study found fridge storage 'doesn't materially increase acrylamide forming potential', people 'can choose to store either in the fridge or in a cool, dark place' (GOV.UK, Acrylamide). So the 'never refrigerate potatoes' rule is now law for manufacturers only.
Is there a temperature limit for live oysters, mussels and other bivalve molluscs?Law
No number. Regulation 853/2004, Annex III, Section VII, Chapter VIII, point 1, requires storage and transport 'at a temperature that does not adversely affect food safety or their viability'. Chapter II, Part B, point 1(b) tells businesses to 'not expose live bivalve molluscs to extreme temperatures'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Live shellfish have to stay alive, so freezing or very cold storage can be as harmful as warmth. The figure therefore comes from the producer's specification and the dispatch centre's HACCP plan, and a general chill alarm at 0 to 5 °C may not suit them. Record the range you work to and where it came from.
Should eggs be refrigerated in a warehouse or shop?Law
In general, no. Recital 7 of Regulation (EC) No 589/2008 on egg marketing standards says eggs 'should be stored and transported preferably at a constant temperature' and 'should in general not be refrigerated before sale to the final consumer'. Article 2(3) says Class A eggs 'shall not be treated for preservation or chilled in premises or plants where the temperature is artificially maintained at less than 5 °C', although eggs kept below 5 °C during transport for not more than 24 hours, or on retail premises for not more than 72 hours, 'shall not be considered as chilled'. Regulation 853/2004, Annex III, Section X asks for 'a temperature, preferably constant, that is best suited to assure optimal conservation of their hygiene properties'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The rules ask for a steady temperature rather than a cold one. They do not set an upper figure; the British Lion Code does (below 20 °C). Eggs must reach the consumer within 21 days of laying (853/2004). This differs from the FSA's advice to caterers and consumers to refrigerate eggs once they reach the kitchen.
What is the difference between minced meat, a meat preparation and mechanically separated meat?Law
Annex I of Regulation 853/2004 defines them. Minced meat is 'boned meat that has been minced into fragments and contains less than 1 % salt' (point 1.13). A meat preparation is fresh meat, including meat reduced to fragments, 'which has had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added to it' or has undergone processes 'insufficient to modify the internal muscle fibre structure of the meat and thus to eliminate the characteristics of fresh meat' (point 1.15). Mechanically separated meat (MSM) is meat removed from flesh-bearing bones or poultry carcases 'using mechanical means resulting in the loss or modification of the muscle fibre structure' (point 1.14).
What's agreed, and what isn't
In plain terms: plain mince is 2 °C; add seasoning, salt above 1 % or a marinade and it becomes a preparation at 4 °C; meat recovered from bones by machine is MSM at 2 °C. A meat product (point 7.1) is processed so that 'the cut surface shows that the product no longer has the characteristics of fresh meat', such as cooked or cured meats, and is not covered by these chill figures. Which category a product falls into is a classification question for the business and its approving authority; record the decision in the HACCP plan.
What temperature does the law set for poultry meat?Law
Regulation 853/2004, Annex III, Section II, Chapter V: as soon as poultry or rabbit meat is cut and packaged 'it must be chilled to a temperature of not more than 4 °C' (point 3), and 'Meat must attain a temperature of not more than 4 °C before transport' (point 4). During cutting the meat must be kept at not more than 4 °C 'by means of an ambient temperature of 12 °C' (point 1(b)). Point 5: poultry meat intended for freezing 'must be frozen without undue delay'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
The 4 °C figure covers poultry and lagomorphs (rabbits and hares). ATP uses +4 °C for poultry, game and rabbits in international carriage. A mixed store holding red meat (7 °C) and poultry (4 °C) has to meet the lower figure for the poultry, which in practice means running the room for the poultry.
What temperature must raw milk be kept at on the farm and at the dairy?Law
Regulation 853/2004, Annex III, Section IX: on the holding, milk must be cooled immediately to 'not more than 8 °C in the case of daily collection, or not more than 6 °C if collection is not daily' (Chapter I, Part II, B, point 2(a)). During transport the cold chain must be maintained and on arrival the milk 'must not be more than 10 °C' (point 3). At the processing establishment it must be 'quickly cooled to not more than 6 °C' and kept there until processed (Chapter II, Part I, point 1).
What's agreed, and what isn't
Exemptions apply where milk is processed within two hours of milking, or processing starts within four hours of acceptance, or a higher temperature is authorised for technological reasons such as some cheeses. ATP uses +6 °C for raw milk and up to +10 °C when collected from the farm for immediate processing. Pasteurised milk and other dairy products have no 853/2004 storage figure; they follow the label and the general chill rules.
What temperature must red meat and offal be kept at in storage and transport?Law
Annex III, Section I, Chapter VII of Regulation 853/2004 requires chilling to 'a temperature throughout the meat of not more than 3 °C for offal and 7 °C for other meat'. Point 2: 'Meat must attain the temperature specified in point 1 and remain at that temperature during storage.' Point 3 says the same for transport. Cutting and boning rooms must keep meat at those temperatures 'by means of an ambient temperature of not more than 12 °C' (Chapter V, point 2(b)).
What's agreed, and what isn't
'Throughout the meat' means core temperature, so a room thermometer alone does not show compliance; product probing or a validated air-to-core relationship does. Point 3 allows warm transport only with competent authority authorisation and strict conditions, and point 4 says meat for freezing 'must be frozen without undue delay' without giving a frozen storage figure. The warm-carcase rules were changed in the EU by Delegated Regulation 2024/1141, which applies in Northern Ireland and Ireland but not in Great Britain.
What temperatures does the law set for fresh and frozen fish?Law
Regulation 853/2004, Annex III, Section VIII, Chapter VII: fresh fishery products 'must be maintained at a temperature approaching that of melting ice' (point 1), and frozen fishery products at 'not more than – 18 °C in all parts of the product', except whole fish frozen in brine for canning, which may be 'not more than – 9 °C' (point 2). In transport, frozen fish must be kept at 'an even temperature of not more than – 18 °C in all parts of the product, possibly with short upward fluctuations of not more than 3 °C' (Chapter VIII, point 1(b)).
What's agreed, and what isn't
The law gives no number for 'melting ice'; see the separate question on what it means in practice. Live fishery products are kept at 'a temperature and in a manner that does not adversely affect food safety or their viability', again with no number. Smoked fish has no specific figure in 853/2004; vacuum-packed smoked fish is governed in practice by the FSA's C. botulinum guidance. In the EU (Northern Ireland and Ireland), Delegated Regulation 2024/1141 now lets fish be held at the temperature needed for slicing for up to 96 hours.
Can tomatoes go in the chill room?Guidance
Not for long, if they are not yet ripe. The WFLO Commodity Storage Manual (revised 2018) says 'Storage temperatures below 55°F (12.8°C) cause CI' (chilling injury) in tomatoes, with recommended temperatures by ripeness: mature green 13 to 18 °C, pink 10 to 13 °C and ripe 7 to 10 °C. 'A temperature of 55°F (12.8°C) with 90 to 95% relative humidity (RH) is recommended to slow ripening.'
What's agreed, and what isn't
Industry quality guidance, not law. Damage depends on time and temperature, so a short spell in a 3 °C chill room on the way to a kitchen may be accepted while days in it are not. Ripe tomatoes tolerate cooler storage for a few days. Pre-cut or ready-to-eat tomato is a different case: once cut, it is a chilled food under the general chill rules.
Has the EU changed meat and fish temperature rules since Brexit, and does it matter in Northern Ireland?Guidance
Yes. The FSA's explanatory memorandum on Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1141 (in force 9 May 2024) says it gives 'additional flexibility to food business operators who wish to transport meat above the required temperature' with 'specific detail on how to record the surface temperature of such meat', and lets carcase meat travel 'before it reaches the required temperature of 7°' under strict conditions. For fish it permits holding 'at the technologically required temperature for the purpose of slicing for up to 96 hours'. The Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 enforce 853/2004 in Northern Ireland.
What's agreed, and what isn't
These changes apply in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework and in Ireland as EU law, not in Great Britain, where the assimilated 853/2004 text on legislation.gov.uk applies. GB businesses sending warm carcases to Northern Ireland must meet the new temperature recording rules. The core chill figures (7 °C, 3 °C, 4 °C, 2 °C) are the same on both sides.
Should a caterer keep eggs in the fridge?Guidance
Ideally, yes. The FSA's advice on eggs for catering says to 'store eggs in a cool, dry place, ideally keep refrigerated until use', and its checklist says 'refrigerate eggs where possible'. Pooled liquid egg should be kept refrigerated and taken out in small amounts.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is formal guidance for kitchens, after the supply chain. It does not contradict the marketing rule that eggs should in general not be refrigerated before sale: once eggs are in the kitchen, keep them cold and steady rather than moving them in and out of the fridge.
What temperature does the British Lion Code set for eggs?Guidance
The British Lion Code of Practice summary (2026) says Lion eggs 'are subject to tighter controls on time and temperature than required by law': stored below 20 °C on the farm, transported to the packing centre at least twice a week and 'kept at a constant temperature below 20°C'. Under 'Cool chain' it says 'British Lion eggs must be kept between 5°C and 20°C', and retail customers must be advised to store them 'at a constant temperature below 20°C, away from heat sources and sunlight'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is an industry assurance scheme, not law, but it is a condition of using the Lion mark, so a store or haulier handling Lion eggs is held to it by its customer. A 5 to 20 °C band suits an ambient zone with both a high and a low alarm, not a chill room.
What temperature should bananas be held and ripened at?Guidance
The Global Cold Chain Alliance's Commodity Storage and Handling Manual (revised 2024) gives a holding room of 13 to 14 °C and a ripening room of 14 to 20 °C. It says bananas 'are chilling-sensitive' and handling methods exist 'to avoid exposure to temperatures below 56°F (13°C) even for a few hours'; below 13 °C 'may cause chilling injury within 2 to 24 hours', and on arrival fruit 'are usually ripened at temperatures between 58 and 65°F (14 to 18°C)'. It adds that bananas 'should not be stored nor transported with chilling resistant crops'.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is industry guidance on quality, not law: no UK rule sets a banana temperature, and chilling injury is a quality loss, not a safety hazard. The manual says the minimum is 'not sharply defined': a few hours at 10 °C may dull the peel and 12 hours at 7 °C generally affects saleability. The figure is pulp temperature, so air probes should be read with that in mind. Ripening rooms change set points on purpose, so alarms need to follow the programme.
What temperature should chocolate be stored at?Guidance
The GCCF Commodity Storage and Handling Manual's candy chapter (revised 2024) says 'Chocolate candies should be held at consistent temperatures at 68°F (20°C) or lower to minimize fat bloom.' It says chocolate-coated candies 'should not go above 85°F (30°C) after the coating is set, even for 1 hour, or fat bloom will develop', and warns of sugar bloom from condensation when product comes out of cold storage.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Industry quality guidance, not law: chocolate is an ambient product under food hygiene law. Manufacturers often specify a narrower range on the pack or in the supply contract, and that specification is what your customer will hold you to. In an ambient warehouse that means a high alarm in summer and a stable temperature, not a chill.
Which other produce is damaged by a normal chill room?Guidance
Cucumbers are one example. The GCCF Commodity Storage and Handling Manual (revised 2024) gives 10 to 13 °C for fresh cucumbers and says they 'are chilling sensitive': 'generally they are subject to chilling injury (CI) if held longer than about 2 to 5 days at temperatures below 50°F (10°C)'. The same manual gives avocados 4.4 to 13 °C depending on cultivar, because cultivars differ in how sensitive they are to chilling injury, and bananas 13 to 14 °C.
What's agreed, and what isn't
Industry quality guidance, not law. Chilling injury often shows only after the produce warms up again, as pitting, browning or decay, so the damage appears at the customer, not in your store. Leafy salads are the opposite: the same manual gives lettuce 0 to 1 °C, and shelf life falls from about 21 days at 0 °C to 3 to 5 days at 10 °C. Chilling-sensitive and chill-loving produce cannot share a zone without one of them losing quality.
Why does 3 °C matter for vacuum-packed smoked fish and other VP or MAP chilled foods?Guidance
The FSA's guidance on vacuum and modified atmosphere packed chilled foods says non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum 'is able to grow and produce toxin at 3°C and above'. Where no other controlling factor applies, 'the maximum shelf-life should be 10 days' from packing for foods stored between 3 °C and 8 °C. It names smoked fish among the VP/MAP foods associated with botulism outbreaks. 'Foods stored at less than 3°C are outside the scope of this guidance.'
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is formal guidance (December 2020), not law. If a product is labelled to be kept below 3 °C, the guidance says the business must understand how it will be held after it leaves its control; if it may sit at 3 to 8 °C in transit, retail or at home, the 10-day rule applies from that point. Since December 2020 it no longer applies to VP/MAP fresh beef, lamb and pork, where businesses may apply a 13-day maximum. A below-3 °C label claim makes your chill chain evidence part of the safety case.
What does 'a temperature approaching that of melting ice' mean for fish in practice?Interpretation
Torry Advisory Note No. 12 (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Torry Research Station), republished by the FAO, says: 'Chilled fresh fish, which contains no frozen water, requires storage at or near 0°C, the melting point of ice'. It says wet fish on display 'must be kept cool, clean and moist', that fish should already be near ice temperature before it goes out because a cabinet cools it from one side only, and that ice is the reliable way to keep it there.
What's agreed, and what isn't
This is technical guidance, not law. The note is old (its survey of retail cabinets dates from 1971), but its 0 °C reading of 'melting ice' is the one inspectors and industry use. A chill room at 5 °C or a display at 8 °C does not meet 'approaching melting ice' for fresh fish under 853/2004 on its own; ice does most of the work. We found no current Seafish page setting a numeric range that we could verify, so we do not quote one.
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In 20 minutes we go through how you prove temperature control to your EHO, auditor or customer: monitoring, alarms, mapping, calibration and corrective action. You get the gaps in writing. No product tour.