Delivery record sheet: checking goods in
What to check on every delivery
- It is what you ordered, from a supplier on your list.
- Chilled food is at 8 °C or below. Probe between packs, not into them.
- Frozen food is hard frozen, at -18 °C, and not warmer than -15 °C.
- Use-by and best-before dates leave you enough time to use the food.
- Packaging is clean, dry and undamaged, with no signs of pests.
- The van and the driver look clean, and raw and ready-to-eat food are kept apart.
Temperatures at delivery
| Goods | Accept at | Reject |
|---|---|---|
| Chilled | 8 °C or below | Warmer than 8 °C |
| Frozen | -18 °C or below; brief rises to -15 °C are allowed in transport | Warmer than -15 °C, or signs of thawing and refreezing |
Chilled: Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. Frozen: the Quick-frozen Foodstuffs Regulations, which allow short rises of up to 3 °C during transport.
Rejecting a delivery
- Don't sign it in. Keep the food apart from your own stock and tell the driver why.
- Write it down. Date, supplier, product, what was wrong and what you did.
- Tell the supplier. If it happens again, Safer food, better business suggests looking for another supplier.
Keep a supplier list
Safer food, better business asks you to keep a list of your suppliers and contractors with their contact details. If food is recalled or someone falls ill, you can trace where it came from.
Questions
What temperature should chilled deliveries be?
8 °C or below. Reject chilled food that is warmer.
What temperature should frozen deliveries be?
-18 °C or below. Short rises to -15 °C are allowed in transport; reject anything warmer or anything that shows signs of thawing.
Do I have to record every delivery?
There is no single legal form, but checking deliveries is part of your food safety procedures, and a record shows you did it. A delivery log is the simplest way.
Or let Cheflog keep this record for you
Cheflog is a food safety app for the kitchen tablet. It reminds you what is due, takes the reading with big keys, asks for the corrective action when a value is out of range and keeps signed records an inspector can read. Try it free for 30 days, then pay once (€49.99), no subscription.
See how Cheflog worksSources
- SFBB management: suppliers and contractors (PDF)
- The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, Schedule 4: temperature control
- The Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (England) Regulations 2007, Schedule 2
- Safer food, better business for caterers (Food Standards Agency)
Sources checked on 6 November 2026.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Limits in the templates are a starting point: check them against your own food safety plan and ask your local authority if you are unsure. Cheflog and Everlong are not connected to the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland or any other authority, and nothing here is approved by them.
