Once a delivery is accepted, it enters your kitchen and everything downstream depends on it being right. Contaminated or out-of-temperature stock is one of the most common routes into a food poisoning incident — and your signature on the delivery note says you were satisfied with its condition. Check before you sign, not after.
The temperature bands
Chilled goods
5°C or below — accept
Best practice on arrival.
5°C – 8°C — grey zone
Accept, but use quickly or flag to a manager per house policy.
Above 8°C — reject
Legal maximum in England, Wales & NI.
Frozen goods
−18°C — accept
Storage target.
−18°C to −15°C — accept
Allowed transport tolerance.
Warmer than −15°C — reject
Also reject any sign of thawing or refreezing.
What to check before you accept
Temperature
Chilled: best practice is 5°C or below on arrival. Legal maximum (England, Wales & NI) is 8°C — reject anything above that. Frozen: target −18°C, with a transport tolerance up to −15°C — reject anything warmer or showing signs of thawing or refreezing. Always check with a probe, never by feel.
Packaging
Reject anything damaged, swollen, dented or leaking — damaged packaging is a contamination risk on its own, whatever the temperature reads.
Date codes
Use-by is a safety limit: it's illegal to sell or use food after this date, so always reject. Best-before is about quality only — food past it is still legal to use, so rejecting it is a house-policy choice, not a safety one.
Condition
Meat, fish and poultry should show no off smell, discolouration or sliminess. If it smells wrong, it is wrong — don’t taste-test a doubt away.
Vehicle
The delivery vehicle should be clean and properly refrigerated for chilled or frozen goods. An unrefrigerated van on a warm day is a red flag before you even open a box.
Reject the delivery if…
- Temperature is above 8°C for chilled goods — the legal maximum in England, Wales & NI
- Frozen goods are warmer than −15°C, or show signs of thawing or refreezing
- Packaging is damaged, swollen or contaminated
- The use-by date has already passed — it is illegal to sell or use this food
- There is any sign of pest activity
Stock arriving with a use-by date of today is still legal and safe to use before the end of that day. Many kitchens reject it anyway if they can’t use it same-day — that’s a sensible house policy, not a food-safety rule. Tell the driver you’re rejecting the delivery, note the reason, and record it — a rejected delivery from a supplier can also flag an allergen matrix review if the product itself has changed.
Partial rejections
You can accept part of a delivery and reject specific items. Note exactly which items were rejected and why. Keep rejected stock separate from the rest of the delivery and clearly marked until the driver takes it away — don’t let it mix with goods you’ve accepted.
After you accept
- Refrigerate chilled goods within 15 minutes of arrival — don’t let boxes sit at the back door.
- Log the delivery straight away, while the details are still in front of you.
- Check for anything unexpected — a new brand, different packaging, an unfamiliar ingredient.
- Flag a changed product to a manager — it can affect the allergen information on your menu.
What a delivery record needs
Every delivery log should capture:
- Supplier name
- Items received
- Temperature reading at point of delivery
- Condition of goods and packaging
- Your name
- Date and time
A check is only proof if it’s logged
A temperature checked at the back door and never written down is gone the moment the driver leaves. Pairing goods-in checks with a temperature log turns each delivery into a timestamped record, sitting alongside cleaning schedules and cooking checks in one food safety management system.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a chilled delivery be at?
Best practice is 5°C or below on arrival. The legal maximum in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 8°C — reject anything delivered above that. In Scotland the law sets no numeric maximum, but 8°C is still the sensible working limit chilled food should be kept under.
Can I accept a frozen delivery that isn’t at −18°C?
Yes, within limits. −18°C is the storage target, but the rules allow a brief transport tolerance up to −15°C. Reject anything warmer than −15°C, or anything showing visible signs of thawing and refreezing, such as ice crystals or a soft, damp box.
What’s the difference between rejecting on use-by and best-before dates?
Use-by is a legal safety limit — it is illegal to sell or use the food once it has passed, so it must always be rejected. Best-before is a quality marker only; food past it is still legal to accept, so rejecting it is a house-policy decision, not a food-safety requirement.
What should a delivery record include?
Supplier name, the items received, the temperature reading at the point of delivery, the condition of the goods and packaging, who checked it, and the date and time. Keeping this for every delivery is what turns a goods-in check into evidence an inspector can see.
Turn every delivery check into a timestamped record
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Related: Food safety management software guide · Restaurant temperature log · Food date labelling rules · Food hygiene checklist
Last reviewed September 2026 · HospoPilot editorial · General guidance, not legal advice.