Temperature log for fridges and freezers

The ordinance does not prescribe a form. A good log has, for every reading:

• the date and time of the reading
• the unit: fridge, freezer, display case or refrigerated counter
• the measured temperature
• who measured, by name or initials
• the corrective action, if the temperature is out of range

A restaurant at least once a day (Article 14(3)). A bar once a day (Article 14(2)). A morning and an evening reading is good practice: a fault that happens overnight shows up before prep, not when the kitchen opens the door at noon.

The 2025 HOK guide asks for two readings a day only from venues that work on full HACCP principles (p. 96). Those are venues with processes that take longer than 72 hours, or with food for special groups, such as gluten-free food.

HOK guide 2025: fridges up to 8 °C (4 °C recommended), freezers -18 °C or lower (p. 38, 39 and 42).

For individual foods the guide has a table on p. 40. Its heading says "recommended temperature requirements", and its column says "maximum permitted storage and transport temperature (unless the original product label states otherwise)".

The range for your unit

Set the range by the food inside the unit. If a fridge holds minced meat, work to +2 °C, not to 8 °C. Write the range in your plan and on the form, next to the unit's name.

Record what you did, right next to the reading. A reading out of range with no action shows at an inspection that the problem was seen and nobody acted. Examples of actions:

• move the goods to a working unit
• check the products and dispose of anything unsafe
• call the service technician for the unit
• after the action, measure again and record the time and the value

The venue sets its own retention period (Article 25(4)). The 2025 HOK guide says records are kept for at least 12 months (p. 71).