Kitchens check temperatures at every stage, from delivery to the hot counter. Staff record fridge, freezer and hot-holding readings, and keep raw and ready-to-eat food apart to prevent cross-contamination. When a reading is wrong, you act and report it.
Why it matters
Records prove food was kept safe, and inspectors often ask for them. Spotting a failing fridge early prevents illness and waste.
Key ideas
Target temperatures
Common guidance is chilled at or below 5 °C, frozen at −18 °C or colder and hot-held at 63 °C or above. Some countries allow chilled food up to 8 °C, so follow local rules.
Cross-contamination
Bacteria spread from raw to ready-to-eat food through hands, boards, knives, cloths or drips.
Corrective action
If a reading is out of range, tell the chef, follow the procedure and record what was done.
Step by step
- 1
Probe chilled and frozen deliveries before signing for them.
- 2
Put chilled and frozen goods away first.
- 3
Record fridge and freezer readings at the set times.
- 4
Probe hot-held food regularly.
- 5
Sanitise the probe between foods.
- 6
Report and record any out-of-range reading.
Do
- Write the actual reading, not the target.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat boards and utensils separate.
- Wash your hands after handling raw meat, fish or eggs.
Common mistakes
- Don't fill in records in advance or from memory.
- Don't accept warm chilled goods or thawing frozen ones.
- Don't use a hot-holding unit to heat food up.
The situation
The afternoon check shows the salad fridge at 9 °C. This morning it read 3 °C.
What a professional does
You record the actual reading and tell the chef, who may probe the food, move it and decide what to discard. You note the action taken.
Useful phrases
“Chef, the salad fridge is at 9 degrees. It was 3 this morning.”
“This delivery is at 11 degrees. Shall we reject it?”
Pro tip
Check fridge displays against a probe now and then, because displays can be wrong.
Quick check
What temperature should hot-held food stay at?
Think about it, then show the answer
63 °C or above, or as your local rules require.