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Food guidance · 18 questions

Food in transit: vehicles, ATP and loading

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.

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Reviewed by Jake Farrow, Managing DirectorLast reviewed 19 October 2026

Food hygiene law requires vehicles to hold food at the right temperature and to let that temperature be monitored. The ATP agreement adds equipment classes and food temperatures, but only for international journeys. For UK-only deliveries the evidence your customer or EHO wants is the journey record: pre-cool, loading time and each compartment's temperature.

Why it matters

The vehicle is where the record usually stops

A chill store has walls, a stable load and a fixed probe. A delivery vehicle opens its doors at every drop, may carry chilled and frozen loads side by side, and is often on a different system from the depot, or on none. When a customer rejects a load or an EHO asks what happened between dispatch and delivery, the answer depends on whether anyone recorded the journey.

Enforcement shows the risk. The FSAI's December 2025 closure orders included 'the use of an unrefrigerated vehicle for transporting meat with no controls in place to maintain the cold food chain' (FSAI 2025 enforcement report), and the FSA and FSS Our Food 2024 review names 'concerns over temperature controls and poor hygiene during processing or transport of meat' among the causes of food incidents.

What the rules say

Hygiene law: hold it and let it be monitored

Regulation 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter IV says that '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'. It also requires vehicles to be clean and in good repair, with effective separation between loads. The chill and hot holding limits in Schedule 4 apply in transit too, and paragraph 5 gives a defence for food above 8 °C 'for a limited period only' while it is transferred between premises and a vehicle.

Two sets of rules go further. For quick-frozen food, Regulation 37/2005 requires EN 12830 recording instruments in the means of transport and a year of dated records, though local distribution may use an easily visible thermometer instead (Article 3). Approved establishments under 853/2004 must keep meat at 7 °C, offal at 3 °C and poultry at 4 °C during transport.

ATP: international journeys only

The ATP agreement sets equipment classes and food temperatures for international carriage of perishable food, where loading and unloading 'are in two different States'. The DVSA guidance says the rules apply to transport to or from ATP countries and 'there are different rules if you're only transporting perishable food within the UK'. So a UK-only fleet does not need ATP certificates, though many customers ask for ATP-class vehicles as a specification.

Where it applies, ATP is specific. Annex 3 gives maximum food temperatures for chilled loads: red meat 7 °C, poultry 4 °C, offal 3 °C, minced meat 2 °C, and 6 °C for dairy, meat products and ready meals unless the label says otherwise. Annex 1 defines classes: an FRC unit can hold any inside temperature 'between + 12 °C and -20 °C inclusive'. Multi-compartment vehicles are marked with both classes or with an M, and equipment is retested 'at least once every six years', with GOV.UK describing a three-yearly retest after the first six years.

Maximum food temperatures for chilled loads under ATP Annex 3
Red meat7 °C
Poultry4 °C
Offal3 °C
Minced meat2 °C

Food (not air) temperatures for international journeys under ATP, as amended June 2024. In GB, the general chill limit is 8 °C (Schedule 4); 853/2004 sets the same 7, 4, 3 and 2 °C figures for approved establishments.

What good looks like

Pre-cool, load fast, record the load space

BRCGS Storage and Distribution Issue 4 gives the clearest picture (paraphrased): validate that vehicles hold temperature in all weather at minimum and maximum load (5.4.1); record load-space temperature automatically, with records readily accessible, or by recorded manual checks where there is no such equipment (5.4.2); verify settings and pre-cool before loading or reach temperature within a defined time (5.4.3); alert the driver when the load leaves its limits (5.4.5); and have procedures to settle product status after equipment failure, before release to the customer (5.4.6). BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 clause 4.16.3 is lighter and also accepts records of refrigeration unit operation.

Multi-temperature vehicles need each compartment treated as its own store: its own set point, its own sensor and its own alarm, with the bulkhead position recorded at loading. Doors are the main risk on multi-drop routes, so plan the load in drop order and keep chilled and frozen doors shut while the other compartment is worked.

A temperature-controlled delivery, dock to drop
  1. Pre-coolLoad space at set point before loading, reading recorded.
  2. Load in drop orderDoors open only as long as needed; product off the dock quickly.
  3. Record the journeyEach compartment logged, with alerts to the driver.
  4. Check at the dropReceiver probes between packs and checks the record.
  5. Act on excursionsQuarantine, tell the product owner, decide and record.

Drawn from 852/2004 Chapter IV, BRCGS Storage and Distribution 5.4 (paraphrased) and FSA and FSAI delivery guidance.

Worked example

A rejected delivery on a hot afternoon

This is an illustrative example; times and readings are invented. A distributor runs a two-compartment vehicle on a twelve-drop route: chilled at 3 °C, frozen at −20 °C.

Thursday 13:20, drop 7 takes longer than planned and the chilled door is open for 18 minutes. 13:30, the driver alert fires at 7.2 °C air. 13:45, the next customer probes between packs, reads 7.8 °C and, following its acceptance limit of 5 °C, rejects the chilled lines.

What the distributor does: pulls the journey record, which shows the door event and a recovery to 4 °C by 14:05, and gives it to the product owner, who assesses the product. What changes: the route is re-sequenced so the slow drop goes last, and a strip curtain is fitted to the chilled compartment.

Where it is unclear

Domestic limits and unit records

For UK-only journeys the GOV.UK page does not say what the domestic rules are; they come from hygiene law, 853/2004 for approved meat, and the quick-frozen rules. Whether a refrigeration unit record is enough evidence for high-risk loads is also open: BRCGS Food Safety accepts it, Storage and Distribution asks for load-space records. Both are compared under transport monitoring.

No source we checked gives a figure for dock dwell time, door-open time or pre-cool time. BRCGS Storage and Distribution 7.3.4 asks you to set 'maximum limits for the period of time that particular types of product may remain outside a temperature-controlled environment', which is why our recommendation gives one.

Inspection findings

What the published findings show

The FSAI reported 133 enforcement orders in 2024 and named 'failure to maintain correct temperatures of foodstuffs' among recurring issues, with an unrefrigerated meat vehicle among the December 2025 closures. In the UK there is no published national dataset of transport temperature findings; Our Food 2024 links meat incidents partly to temperature control in processing and transport but does not count them.

In summary

The short version

  • Hygiene law asks that vehicles can hold food at the right temperature and let it be monitored.
  • ATP applies to international journeys only; UK-only fleets follow hygiene law and customer specifications.
  • Quick-frozen loads need EN 12830 recorders and a year of records, except in local distribution, where a visible thermometer is allowed.
  • Pre-cool, load in drop order, and treat each compartment as its own store.
  • Record the journey and review it before the next shift.
  • Set and record your own dock dwell and door-open limits; no source gives a figure.

Food transport and deliveries

Questions, answered from the source

Last checked 19 October 2026. Each answer links to its source and says whether it is law, formal guidance or interpretation.

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.

Status
Law
Applies to
Food manufacturers, Cold stores, Food distribution and transport
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Formal guidance
Applies to
Food distribution and transport, Cold stores, Food retail, Catering, Food manufacturers
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Law
Applies to
Food distribution and transport, Cold stores, Food retail
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Source
The Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (England) Regulations 2007 UK Parliament (legislation.gov.uk), 30 September 2022
Status
Law
Applies to
Cold stores, Food distribution and transport, Food retail, Food manufacturers
Last checked
18 October 2026
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).

Status
Law
Applies to
Cold stores, Food distribution and transport, Food manufacturers
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Source
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter IV (Transport) UK Parliament (legislation.gov.uk), 31 December 2020
Status
Law
Applies to
Food distribution and transport, Food manufacturers, Food retail
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Law
Applies to
Food distribution and transport
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Law
Applies to
Food distribution and transport
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Law
Applies to
Food distribution and transport, Cold stores
Last checked
18 October 2026
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).

Source
Get a vehicle approved to transport perishable food in or out of the UK by road Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (GOV.UK), 29 January 2026
Status
Formal guidance
Applies to
Food distribution and transport, Food manufacturers
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Formal guidance
Applies to
Cold stores, Food distribution and transport
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Formal guidance
Applies to
Food distribution and transport
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Formal guidance
Applies to
Food manufacturers, Food distribution and transport
Last checked
18 October 2026
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).

Source
Our Food 2024: An annual review of food standards across the UK FSA and Food Standards Scotland, June 2025
Status
Interpretation
Applies to
Catering, Food retail, Food manufacturers, Food distribution and transport
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Formal guidance
Applies to
Catering, Food retail, Food distribution and transport
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Formal guidance
Applies to
Food manufacturers, Food distribution and transport
Last checked
18 October 2026
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.

Status
Formal guidance
Applies to
Cold stores, Food distribution and transport
Last checked
19 October 2026
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.

Status
Formal guidance
Applies to
Food distribution and transport, Cold stores, Food manufacturers
Last checked
18 October 2026

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