Fridge temperature logs: what EHOs actually check
Temperature records are the first thing many environmental health officers look at, because they are the quickest way to tell whether checks really happen or get filled in before a visit. Here is what the law requires, what a credible log looks like, and what to do when a reading is out of range.
The legal limits
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, food that needs refrigeration must be kept at or below 8°C — that is the legal maximum. In practice almost every food business aims for 5°C or below, which gives a safety margin and matches FSA best-practice guidance. Frozen food should be stored at −18°C or colder, and hot food held for service must stay at 63°C or above.
How often to record
The SFBB routine expects fridges checked at least twice a day — typically at opening and once during the day — with the actual reading written down, not just a tick. Officers are sceptical of logs where every entry says "5°C" in the same handwriting for six weeks; real fridges drift, and a log with honest variation is more credible than a perfect one.
What inspectors look for
- Actual temperatures, recorded at the time, by a named person
- No gaps on trading days — a missing Saturday is a red flag, not a blank
- Out-of-range readings that lead somewhere: a corrective action, a re-check, a repair
- Evidence your thermometer is accurate (a periodic probe calibration check in iced water at 0°C and boiling water at 100°C, recorded)
When a fridge is over temperature
An out-of-range reading is not a failure — ignoring it is. Check whether the door was just open or it is genuinely warm, re-check after 30 minutes, and if it is still high, move stock to another unit and decide what can be kept. High-risk food that has been above 8°C for more than four hours should be thrown away. Record all of it: the reading, what you did, and the re-check that closed it out. That paper trail is exactly what builds the confidence in management score covered in our hygiene rating guide.
Paper sheets vs digital logs
Need a sheet today? Print our free fridge temperature log template. A printed sheet on the fridge door works until it doesn't: sheets run out, get greasy, get backfilled. A digital log timestamps each entry, chases the checks that were missed, and turns a month of readings into an inspection-ready report. If you are still on the paper SFBB pack, our guide to going digital with SFBB covers the switch.
Put this into practice with Localyn
Localyn gives cafes, restaurants and takeaways a digital SFBB diary, temperature and cleaning records, allergen management and inspection-ready reports — all in one place.