# Fridge temperature too high: what to do

Markdown copy of https://everlongapps.com/cheflog/guides/fridge-temperature-too-high

> In short: If a fridge reads above 8 °C, probe the food between two packs before you trust the display. Move the food to another fridge or a cold area straight away. Food that needs refrigeration and has been out of chill for more than four hours should be thrown away. Then find the cause, check the fridge again and write down what you did.

Updated 6 November 2026. By Everlong, the maker of Cheflog.

## Step by step

1. **Check the reading.** Probe between two packs of food with a clean probe. Air warms up every time the door opens; food changes slowly.
2. **Move the food.** If the food is above 8 °C, move it to another fridge or a cold area. Keep raw and ready-to-eat food apart while you do.
3. **Decide what to keep.** If you know the food has been above 8 °C for less than four hours, chill it again and use it soon. If it has been longer, or you don't know, throw high-risk food away: cooked meat, dairy, cooked rice, prepared salads, desserts.
4. **Find the cause.** See the list below. If you can't fix it, call an engineer and don't use the fridge until it holds temperature.
5. **Write it down.** The reading, what you did with the food, what caused it and when the fridge was back under 8 °C, with your initials.

## Common causes

- The door was left open or is opened constantly during service
- Shelves overloaded or vents blocked, so cold air can't move
- Hot food put in before it had cooled
- A worn or dirty door seal
- The thermostat turned up, or set wrong after cleaning
- Ice build-up on the evaporator, or a fault that needs an engineer

## What the inspector wants to see

A high reading on its own isn't the problem; an unexplained one is. A line that says what you found, what you did with the food and how you fixed the fridge shows that your checks work. In Cheflog, a reading above the limit asks for the corrective action straight away and can remind you to check again in 15 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour.

## Questions
### How long can food be above 8 °C?
Under the FSA's guidance, food that needs refrigeration and has not been kept chilled for more than four hours should be thrown away. Less than four hours: chill it again and use it soon.
### Is a fridge at 9 °C a problem?
Yes, for food kept there for long. 8 °C is the legal limit for chilled food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Check the food with a probe and act on it.
### Should I record a high reading?
Yes, with what you did about it. Records of problems and their fixes are part of what inspectors score.

## Sources
- [SFBB safe method: chilled food storage and display (PDF)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c52d4cb66ff902f4544276/sfbb-chilling-01-chilled-storage-and-display_4.pdf)
- [The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, Schedule 4: temperature control](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/2996/schedule/4)
- [Safer food, better business for caterers (Food Standards Agency)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safer-food-better-business-for-caterers)


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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.