Every high-risk moment in a kitchen has a temperature attached to it: cold storage, cooking, holding, cooling, reheating. A temperature log is simply the proof that each one stayed in a safe range — or that you spotted it when it didn’t and did something about it.
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Free PDF · A4 · print-ready · covers fridge, freezer, cooking, hot-holding & cooling
What to record, and the targets
Fridges / chilled storage
Target: 8°C or below by law — 5°C or below is best practice
How often: At least twice a day (opening and closing)
Freezers
Target: −18°C or below
How often: At least twice a day
Cooking (core)
Target: 75°C for 30 seconds, or an equivalent combination (e.g. 70°C for 2 minutes)
How often: Each cook, especially high-risk items
Hot holding
Target: 63°C or above
How often: Start of holding and periodically
Cooling
Target: Chilled quickly — ideally into the fridge within 90 minutes
How often: Each time you cook to cool
Reheating (core)
Target: Thoroughly to 75°C (82°C in Scotland)
How often: Each reheat
Deliveries
Target: Chilled ≤8°C, frozen ≤ −18°C on arrival
How often: Every delivery
Targets are for UK food businesses and follow FSA guidance; the legal chilled and hot-holding limits (8°C and 63°C) apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with equivalent rules in Scotland.
What a good record actually contains
A reading on its own isn’t enough. A record that stands up shows:
- The date and time of the check
- What was checked (which unit, or which dish)
- The reading
- Who took it
- Any corrective action, if it was out of range
That last point is the one operators miss. A page of “pass, pass, pass” can look like it was filled in at the end of the week. A record that shows a fridge crept to 9°C, you moved the stock and called for a repair, is the one that builds an inspector’s confidence.
Part of the bigger picture
Temperature logs are one piece of a full food safety management system — alongside your daily hygiene checklist, cleaning, allergens and training. Logging temperatures digitally means the reading is captured at the moment of the check, the maths on ranges is done for you, and gaps show up immediately instead of on inspection day.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a commercial fridge be?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below by law, but 5°C or below is widely recommended as best practice for a safety margin. Freezers should run at −18°C or below.
How often should I record fridge and freezer temperatures?
At least twice a day — typically an opening (AM) and closing (PM) check — is the common standard, so a fault is caught quickly rather than after a day of unsafe storage.
What do I do if a reading is out of range?
Record it, and record the corrective action you took — moved stock to another unit, called for repair, discarded affected food. A log full of "pass" is less convincing than one that shows you spotted a problem and acted. An out-of-range reading with no action recorded is the thing that hurts you.
How long should I keep temperature records?
Keep them long enough to show a consistent history — commonly a rolling few months. Digital records make this effortless and mean nothing gets lost between now and your next inspection.
Log temps in seconds, not on a clipboard
HospoPilot timestamps every reading, flags anything out of range, and keeps the whole history to hand.
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Related: Food safety management software guide · Food hygiene checklist · EHO inspection checklist · Safe cooking temperatures
Last reviewed July 2026 · HospoPilot editorial · General guidance, not legal advice.