Free Fridge Temperature Log Sheet (UK): PDF & Excel

Chilled food in England must legally be kept at 8°C or below, and your Environmental Health Officer will ask to see the records that prove it. This is the daily log sheet that does the job, based on the checks in the FSA's Safer Food Better Business pack.

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Free for use within your organisation. No sign-up required. If it saves you time, a link back to this page is always appreciated.

What's in the template

• Daily AM/PM checks for every fridge and freezer, with a corrective-action column
• Delivery log: record chilled/frozen goods-in temperatures and accept/reject decisions

The targets

• Fridges: aim for 0–5°C (legal maximum 8°C in England)
• Freezers: −18°C or below
• Chilled deliveries above 8°C: reject or record the action you took

How long do I keep them?

Keep a rolling three months as a minimum, longer if your EHO advises. For the full rules, retention periods and what inspectors spot-check, see our guide: temperature logs for UK food businesses.

Who must keep this record

Any UK food business handling perishable goods: restaurants, cafés, takeaways, catering companies, care home kitchens and mobile units all sit under the same rules. The obligation comes from retained Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and the Food Safety Act 1990, which put responsibility on the operator to show food has been held at safe temperatures, enforced by local authorities under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 (with equivalent legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Temperature sits at the centre of HACCP for one reason: harmful bacteria multiply in the danger zone between 8°C and 63°C.

How long to keep it

Three months is the floor the FSA recommends, but many environmental health departments advise twelve months or longer, and twelve is the period our retention table gives for fridge, freezer, cook and hot-hold logs. If a customer falls ill, the investigation can reach you months later and this log is your due-diligence evidence. Kitchens serving vulnerable groups (hospitals, care homes, schools, nurseries) typically double it to two years. Full breakdown by record type: how long UK food businesses must keep records.

What a completed entry looks like

Fill it in at the unit, at the time of the check. The entries that carry the most weight are the ones where something was wrong and you fixed it.

• Routine AM check: 12/07/2026, 07:50, Fridge 2 (desserts), 3.4°C, initials JD
• Freezer: 12/07/2026, 07:52, Freezer 1, -20.1°C, initials JD
• Out of range, with the fix: Fridge 1 read 10°C at 07:55. Door seal found split, stock moved to the walk-in, seal replaced, re-checked 09:55 at 4°C
• Delivery: 11:20, chilled goods probed at 6°C accepted, a second pallet at 11°C rejected and noted
• Calibration: probe checked against melting ice, reads 0.2°C, in tolerance, initials JD

FAQs

How often should fridge temperatures be recorded?

At least twice a day for fridges and freezers, typically at the start of the day and again during service or at close. Some businesses run three checks across the day, which gives better evidence of consistent control. Your HACCP plan sets the frequency for your operation.

What if a fridge reads slightly above 8°C?

Investigate the cause (door left open, overloading, a failing compressor), take corrective action and keep monitoring until it is back in range. Food held briefly at slightly elevated temperature is unlikely to be unsafe, but prolonged storage above 8°C lets bacteria grow. If the temperature stays high despite action, the food should be discarded.

Should I record readings that failed?

Yes, always. A log showing nothing but perfect readings for months is less credible than one that records the odd fault and the response to it. Note the problem, the likely cause, the action taken and the follow-up check that confirmed it was resolved.

Are wireless monitoring systems acceptable to inspectors?

Yes. The FSA accepts electronic records from automated systems, and continuous logging often gives fuller evidence than manual checks at set times. Make sure the system can produce reports quickly during an inspection and that historical data is backed up.

Sources

food.gov.ukFSA: Safer Food Better Businesslegislation.gov.ukFood Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006