Food Safety
The records your inspector asks for, on your phone
Patrono keeps your temperature logs and opening and closing checklists in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, with a time and a name on every record. A reading out of range cannot be saved without a corrective action, and a saved temperature record cannot be changed. $149 a month per location, or $129 a month per location for 3 to 5 locations, plus applicable sales tax. Scheduling and Food Cost are included: every location gets all three modules, with no setup fee.
Food safety, today
3 of 5 done
- Walk-in cooler, 38°F6:42 AM
- Freezer, 0°F6:45 AM
- Receiving, produce delivery7:18 AM
- Cooking, lunch service
- Cleaning and sanitizing
What the Food Code asks of a restaurant
The FDA Food Code is a model code. It applies to your restaurant where your state or local regulatory authority adopts it, each on its own schedule.
These are the limits and written records in the 2026 edition closest to a restaurant kitchen:
- Cold food at 41°F or less, hot food at 135°F or above (§3-501.16(A)).
- Cooked food cooled from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, and to 41°F or less within 6 hours total (§3-501.14(A)).
- A written employee illness policy, available on request (§2-501.11).
- A person in charge who holds a food protection manager certificate (CFPM) from an accredited program (§2-102.12(A)).
- Within four years of adoption, a written food safety management system with monitoring records (§8-201.15).
Is a temperature log required?
The Food Code treats routine temperature logs as inspection evidence, not a general written duty. Some local codes require them, for example Lee County, Illinois. And within four years of your regulatory authority adopting the 2026 Food Code, a written food safety management system with monitoring records becomes due (§8-201.15).
What the inspector checks
FDA's model inspection report lists 29 risk factor items and 27 good retail practices. Patrono keeps the temperature, receiving and cleaning records behind several of them.
Cooling, hot holding and cold holding are items 20, 21 and 22. Inspectors mark them on the food temperatures they measure during the visit. For cooling, your records can also show when the food started at 135°F (FDA Food Code 2026, Annex 7, Guide 3-B).
Which edition applies to you
Ask your health department which edition of the Food Code it enforces. What the 2026 Food Code changes for restaurants lists the changes section by section.
41°F
or less for cold food (§3-501.16(A)(2))
135°F
or above for hot food (§3-501.16(A)(1))
2 hours
to cool from 135°F to 70°F (§3-501.14(A)(1))
6 hours
in total to reach 41°F or less (§3-501.14(A)(2))
How Patrono does it
A temperature log app with a name on every record
Refrigerator, freezer and food temperatures
Each record keeps who entered it, when, at which location and for which unit, the reading, the limit it was checked against and whether it was in range.
Out of range only with a corrective action
A reading out of range cannot be saved without a corrective action. The action stays with the record, so it shows what was done and who entered it.
A saved record does not change
A saved temperature record in Patrono cannot be edited or deleted. A correction is a new entry, and the original record stays visible.
Checklists by day
Keep opening, closing and cleaning as a checklist by day. Build your own checklists to match your standard, at each location.
Backed up every night
The whole database is backed up every night, encrypted. We tested a full restore on October 26, 2026: the same number of rows in all 88 tables, restored in 24 seconds.
In the browser, where they measure
Staff enter readings in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, right at the unit. The app records the time of each entry, and the person's name comes from their login.
When the inspector comes, you open the history instead of a binder.
Typical scenarios
A walk-in and two reach-ins
Each unit has its own log. A reading out of range cannot be saved without a corrective action, and the record keeps the time and the person.
Catering on the road
Delivery temperatures and checklists are entered on site, in the browser on a phone. The app records the time of each entry, so nothing is rebuilt from memory.
A group with one standard
Build the checklists to match your standard and set them up the same way at each location. Every record shows the location, the time and the person.
HACCP logs on paper
If you keep some records on paper, we email you these logs. Each one is in °F and Letter size, as a fillable PDF and a Word file, with the 2026 Food Code limit it records.
Cooling log
135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, 41°F within 6 hours total (§3-501.14). One line per batch.
Refrigerator and freezer log
Cold holding at 41°F or less (§3-501.16), with a corrective action column.
Hot holding log
Hot holding at 135°F or above (§3-501.16), with a corrective action column.
Questions about food safety records
Is a temperature log required by the FDA Food Code?
The Food Code treats routine temperature logs as inspection evidence, not a general written duty. Some local codes require them, for example Lee County, Illinois. And within four years of your regulatory authority adopting the 2026 Food Code, a written food safety management system with monitoring records becomes due (§8-201.15).
What temperature should a refrigerator be?
41°F or less for food that needs time and temperature control for safety (FDA Food Code 2026, §3-501.16(A)(2)). Hot food is held at 135°F or above (§3-501.16(A)(1)). In Patrono, a reading out of range cannot be saved without a corrective action.
How fast must cooked food cool?
From 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, and to 41°F or less within 6 hours total (FDA Food Code 2026, §3-501.14(A)). Food made from room-temperature ingredients, such as canned tuna, must reach 41°F within 4 hours (§3-501.14(B)).
Does my state use the 2026 Food Code?
Ask the health department that issued your permit which edition of the Food Code it enforces. FDA tracks adoption of the Food Code by state and territorial agencies on the page linked under Sources.
Can anyone change a temperature record after it is saved?
No. A saved temperature record in Patrono cannot be edited or deleted, and a correction is a new entry next to the original. The whole database is backed up every night, encrypted, and a full restore was tested on October 26, 2026.
What does Patrono cost?
$149 per location per month, or $119 a month billed annually ($1,428 a year), with every module. For 3 to 5 locations it is $129 per location per month, or $99 billed annually, with the group overview. For 6 or more locations, email us at info@getpatrono.com. Prices in USD, plus applicable sales tax, and no setup fee. Start with 14 days. $0 today, cancel before day 15 and nothing is charged.
Get started with Patrono
Start with 14 days. $0 today, cancel before day 15 and nothing is charged.