Food safety templates
Food safety log templates for US restaurants
Five logs record temperature and cleaning checks: refrigerator and freezer, hot holding, cooling, receiving and cleaning. Each one records a limit or a frequency from the FDA Food Code 2026. We email each log as a fillable PDF and a Word file, in Letter size.
Updated November 5, 2026
Which logs does a US restaurant keep, and how often?
We suggest these five as good practice. The Food Code sets the limit or the frequency each one records. It sets the timing for cooling and for cleaning food-contact surfaces. For the other checks it asks for routine monitoring with daily oversight (§2-103.11), not clock times, so the times below are our suggestion. TCS food is food that needs time and temperature control for safety.
| Log | How often | What the Food Code sets |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator and freezer log | At fixed times, for example at opening and at closing | Cold TCS food at 41°F or less (§3-501.16(A)(2)). Frozen food stays frozen (§3-501.11). |
| Hot holding log | At fixed times during service | Hot TCS food at 135°F or above (§3-501.16(A)(1)). |
| Cooling log | Every batch: at the start, at 2 hours and at 6 hours | From 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, and to 41°F or less within 6 hours total (§3-501.14(A)). |
| Receiving log | Every delivery of TCS food | 41°F or below when received, 135°F or above if received hot, frozen if shipped frozen (§3-202.11). |
| Cleaning schedule and log | Food-contact surfaces in use with TCS food at least every 4 hours. Cooking equipment, microwaves, tea dispensers and self-service utensils: every 24 hours (§4-602.12, §4-602.11(E)). The rest per the manufacturer or as needed. | Clean to sight and touch (§4-601.11(A)), at least every 4 hours in use (§4-602.11(C)), sanitizer checked by test kit (§4-501.116(A)). |
With a few exceptions, such as shellfish tags (§3-203.12) and fish freezing records (§3-402.12), the Food Code does not require formal records at retail (Annex 5). Some local codes require temperature logs, 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).
Ask the health department that issued your permit which edition it enforces. What changes in the code is on our Food Code updates page.
The logs
Each log prints its Food Code rule at the top. Open a log to see its columns and two example rows, and we email you the files.
Refrigerator and freezer log
Cold holding at 41°F or less (§3-501.16), one line per unit and check, with a corrective action column.
Hot holding log
Hot holding at 135°F or above (§3-501.16), one line per item and check, with a corrective action column.
Cooling log
135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, 41°F within 6 hours total (§3-501.14). One line per batch.
Receiving log
Cold food at 41°F or below, hot food at 135°F or above, frozen food frozen (§3-202.11). One line per item received.
Cleaning schedule and log
Food-contact surfaces at least every 4 hours in use (§4-602.11). One line per task, with the sanitizer check.
Questions about food safety logs
What does it cost?
Nothing. Enter your email on a log's page and we send you the files.
How often should a restaurant check refrigerator temperatures?
The Food Code sets the limit, 41°F or less (§3-501.16(A)(2)), and no clock times. Pick fixed times, for example at opening and at closing. An empty line then shows a missed check.
Is a temperature log required by the FDA Food Code?
With a few exceptions, such as shellfish tags (§3-203.12) and fish freezing records (§3-402.12), the Food Code does not require formal records at retail (Annex 5). Some local codes require temperature logs, 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).
Can I keep these logs in an app?
Yes. In Patrono, staff enter each reading by hand 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.
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