Food safety temperatures in the UK: the cheat sheet
| Check | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fridges, chilled displays | 8 °C or below | Legal limit in England, Wales and NI; set units at 5 °C or below |
| Freezers | -18 °C or below | |
| Chilled deliveries | 8 °C or below | Reject warmer |
| Frozen deliveries | -18 °C, never warmer than -15 °C | Short rises allowed in transport |
| Cooking (core) | 75 °C for 30 s, or 70 °C for 2 min | Or 80 °C for 6 s, 65 °C for 10 min, 60 °C for 45 min |
| Cooling | As quickly as possible, then into the fridge | No fixed time; 8 °C within 2 hours is a common target |
| Reheating (core) | Steaming hot all the way through | At least 82 °C in Scotland by law; reheat once |
| Hot holding | 63 °C or above | Below 63 °C for less than 2 hours, once |
| Chilled food on display | 8 °C or below | Out of the fridge for less than 4 hours, once |
| Fryer | 175 °C or below | To reduce acrylamide; fry to golden yellow |
| Probe check | -1 to +1 °C in iced water, 99 to 101 °C in boiling water | Monthly, or as the maker says |
The danger zone
Between 8 °C and 63 °C bacteria can multiply. The rules above keep food out of that range: cold below 8 °C, hot above 63 °C, and as short as possible in between when it is cooked, cooled or reheated.
The two exceptions the law allows
- Cold food on display or for service can be above 8 °C for less than four hours, once. After that it goes back into the fridge if it was out for less than four hours, or in the bin.
- Hot food on display or for service can be below 63 °C for less than two hours, once.
Both are defences in law, so you need to be able to show the times: a note of when food went out is enough.
Scotland
Scotland's law sets at least 82 °C for reheated food (unless that would spoil it) and requires hot food to be kept above 63 °C. For chilled food, Food Standards Scotland recommends 8 °C or below with 5 °C as the target. CookSafe is the Scottish equivalent of Safer food, better business.
Print the logs
Free sheets for each check: fridges and freezers, cooking, reheating and hot holding, cooling, deliveries and probe checks.
Questions
What is the danger zone for food in the UK?
Between 8 °C and 63 °C, where bacteria can multiply.
What is the 4-hour rule?
Chilled food can be kept out of the fridge for service or display for less than four hours, once. If it has been out longer, throw it away.
What is the 2-hour rule for hot food?
Hot food can be kept below 63 °C for service or display for less than two hours, once. Then reheat it, chill it or throw it away.
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
- The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, Schedule 4: temperature control
- SFBB safe method: chilled food storage and display (PDF)
- SFBB safe method: hot holding (PDF)
- SFBB safe method: cooking safely (PDF)
- The Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006, Schedule 4
- The Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (England) Regulations 2007, Schedule 2
- Regulation (EU) 2017/2158 on acrylamide, Annex II, as it applies in Great Britain
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.