How Long Must UK Food Businesses Keep Records? HACCP Retention Rules (2026)
The full UK food business record retention table — temperature logs, allergen records, supplier records, training certificates, and traceability data — by record type and risk.
Quick answer: UK food businesses must retain HACCP and food safety records for "an appropriate period" — Retained Regulation 852/2004's wording. FSA practical guidance: most records 12 months past the shelf-life of the food, allergen records 5 years, training certificates 3 years post-employment, traceability records minimum 12 months. Higher-risk operations (hospital catering, infant food, vulnerable groups) typically retain double these minimums.
The single most-asked question UK food safety inspectors hear: "how long do I have to keep this?" There's no one number — retention is proportional to risk, evidence type, and food shelf-life. This is the table most operators wish they'd had on day one.
The legal basis
Retained Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on food hygiene says food business operators must "keep records adequate and current to enable the competent authority to verify compliance" — for "an appropriate period" proportionate to the nature and size of the business. It deliberately does not specify a number.
The FSA's Safer Food, Better Business pack and EHO guidance fill the gap. So do industry codes (BRCGS, SALSA, hospital catering standards). Most local authority food teams follow FSA guidance.
Retention table by record type
| Record type | Typical retention | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge / freezer temperature logs | 12 months | Most foods have shelf-life ≤ 12 months; logs evidence cold-chain |
| Cook temperature logs | 12 months | Aligns with general food safety record period |
| Hot-hold temperature logs | 12 months | Same |
| Cool-down records (90-min rule) | 12 months | Same |
| Cleaning schedules signed off | 12 months | Demonstrates HACCP CCP compliance |
| Pest control inspection reports | 3 years | Industry standard; insurer expectation |
| Supplier approval records | While supplier active + 12 months | Traceability for recalls |
| Goods inwards records | 12 months past shelf-life | Traceability ("one step up") |
| Allergen specifications per recipe | 5 years (or until recipe changes) | Personal injury limitation periods |
| Allergen training records | Duration of employment + 3 years | Audit trail of competence at incident time |
| Food handler training certificates | Duration of employment + 3 years | Same |
| HACCP plan and revisions | Life of business + 5 years | Evidence of due-diligence defence |
| FRA / food risk assessment | Life of business + 5 years | Same |
| Customer complaints log | 3 years minimum, 6 years preferred | Personal injury limitation |
| Withdrawal / recall records | Permanent | Trade and regulatory obligation |
| FSA registration / approval correspondence | Permanent while operating | Authorisation evidence |
The "shelf-life plus" rule
The FSA's most useful practical principle: retain records relating to a specific batch or day until the food has been consumed plus a buffer for complaint emergence. For ambient products with 12-month shelf life, that's 12+12 = 24 months. For chilled products with 14-day shelf life, that's 14 days + 12 months = ~13 months. In practice operators round up to 12-24 months for everything.
Higher-risk operations — double the periods
Operations serving vulnerable groups (hospitals, care homes, schools, infant nurseries, pregnant women, immunocompromised patients) typically double standard retention:
- Temperature logs: 24 months
- Cleaning: 24 months
- Allergen records: 7 years
- HACCP and training: life of operation + 5-7 years
Manufacturers and BRCGS / SALSA
Food manufacturers under BRCGS or SALSA certification follow scheme-specific retention — usually 5 years for most records, life-of-product for traceability. Standards inspections audit against the scheme's retention periods, not just FSA guidance.
Digital vs paper retention
Both are accepted equally. Digital records have advantages:
- Tamper-evident audit trails
- Automatic backups
- Searchable for inspections and recalls
- Lower storage cost
Paper has advantages on small sites:
- No software dependency
- Direct visual sign-off
- Power outage resilience
Whichever you choose, ensure records are intact, accessible, and producible during inspection within minutes — not "I'll have to dig that out".
Disposal — getting rid of old records correctly
Once past retention, dispose securely:
- Paper: cross-cut shred or commercial confidential destruction
- Digital: secure delete from all backups, including cloud services
- Records contain personal data (staff names, signatures) so GDPR data-minimisation applies — keeping records longer than needed is itself a GDPR risk
What inspectors actually request at audit
UK EHO inspections typically ask for the last 6 months of:
- Daily temperature logs
- Cleaning schedules signed off
- Pest control records
- Allergen matrix and training records for current staff
- Most recent supplier specifications
- Latest HACCP review
Anything older is rarely demanded — the assumption is that the most recent 6 months reflect the standard. Older records are needed only when investigating a specific complaint or recall.
FAQs
Can I keep records on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Apps like Navitas, Checkit, FoodCheck, and Trail are widely used. Records must be exportable and producible at inspection.
What if I lose records in a flood or fire?
Document the loss, the cause, and the recovery effort. EHOs will treat genuine loss differently from "I never kept them" — but you'll need to demonstrate that records were being kept.
Do I need to keep CCTV recordings as part of food safety?
Not under food safety law specifically, but kitchen CCTV often serves multiple purposes (staff safety, allergen practice). 30-60 days is typical retention; longer requires GDPR justification.
Are records needed for a small home-based food business?
Yes, proportionate to the operation. A home baker still needs HACCP-based procedures, allergen records, supplier records, and basic safety documentation. Retention scales down with risk but doesn't disappear.
Related guides
- HACCP Records: UK Food Business Complete Guide
- Temperature logbooks for UK food businesses
- Cleaning schedules and logbooks
- Food Hygiene Ratings and record-keeping
Sources and further reading
- Food Standards Agency
- Retained Regulation (EC) 852/2004
- Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019 — Natasha's Law
- BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety
Last reviewed 2026-04-28 by Jamie Dawson, Editor. Corrections: corrections@logbook.co.uk
