Chilled and frozen foods
This page provides information and guidelines on best practices of food refrigeration.
Please follow our guidelines below to ensure your food is safe to serve up.
- open refrigerator and freezer doors as little as possible, to help prevent the temperature rising
- do not overfill refrigerators and refrigerated display cabinets
- do not fill freezers above the freezer load line, as the food will not be kept cold enough
- when purchasing chilled or frozen items, use insulated containers to transport them directly to your premises, and place in the refrigerator or freezer immediately
- check the temperature of deliveries of chilled and frozen foods. Frozen foods warmer than -12°C should not be accepted. Chilled foods should be at 8°C or colder
- defrost frozen food in a refrigerator whenever possible. If there is insufficient space, defrost in a cool place and cook immediately when fully thawed
- do not leave perishable food at room temperature
- refrigerators and display counters should keep food at or below 8°C but preferably below 5°C
- refrigerators should be sited in well ventilated areas away from heat sources
- some frozen products, known as quick frozen food, are required to be kept at -12°C or colder, preferably at -18°C
- do not re-heat food more than once. Refrigerators should be sited in well ventilated areas away from heat sources
- the units should be serviced regularly and door seals must be maintained in good condition.
Download a blank temperature control sheet (PDF document [45.7Kb]). It is recommended that you monitor temperatures once or twice daily.
The person recording the temperature should initial the sheet, so you know who is doing the checks for you.
Last updated : 20/05/2009
