Delivery Temperature Checks
The requirement to check and record the temperature of food deliveries on arrival, rejecting any that exceed safe limits.
Checking the temperature of incoming food deliveries is a critical food safety control for every UK hospitality business. Under EC Regulation 852/2004 and the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, food businesses must ensure that food is kept at safe temperatures throughout the supply chain. The moment food arrives at your premises, you become responsible for its safety. Chilled food must be delivered at or below 8 degrees Celsius, and frozen food must be at or below minus 18 degrees Celsius. The Food Standards Agency recommends that chilled food ideally arrives at 5 degrees Celsius or below for an additional margin of safety. Deliveries that arrive outside these limits must be rejected, and this decision must be recorded as part of your food safety management system.
Key Points
- Chilled food must arrive at or below 8 degrees Celsius, frozen food at or below minus 18 degrees Celsius
- Fresh meat requires 7 degrees Celsius or below, minced meat 2 degrees Celsius or below under EC 853/2004
- Deliveries that exceed legal temperature limits must be rejected and the rejection recorded
- Temperature checks must be done with a calibrated probe thermometer, not guesswork
- EHO inspectors review delivery records as part of the confidence-in-management assessment
- Delivery checks are a critical control point in most HACCP plans
Legal Temperature Requirements
The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006, Schedule 4, and the Temperature Control Regulations 1995 set out the legal temperature requirements for food delivery and storage. Chilled foods must be maintained at or below 8 degrees Celsius. Frozen foods must be at or below minus 18 degrees Celsius. Hot food deliveries must arrive at or above 63 degrees Celsius. Some products have stricter requirements: fresh meat should be at or below 7 degrees Celsius, offal at or below 3 degrees Celsius, and minced meat at or below 2 degrees Celsius under EC Regulation 853/2004. These are legal maximums, not targets. Best practice is to aim well below these thresholds.
How to Conduct Delivery Checks
When a delivery arrives, a trained member of staff should check the temperature of the food using a calibrated probe thermometer. For chilled items, probe between packs or use an infrared thermometer to check surface temperatures, then confirm with a probe in at least one product. For frozen items, check that packaging is solid with no signs of thawing. Record the temperature, the time of delivery, the supplier name, and whether the delivery was accepted or rejected. Visual checks are also important: look for damaged packaging, signs of pest contamination, items past their use-by date, and raw and cooked products stored together in the delivery vehicle. All checks should be completed promptly. Food should not be left on a loading bay at ambient temperature while checks are being done.
Rejecting Non-Conforming Deliveries
If any food arrives above the legal temperature limit, it must be rejected and returned to the supplier. Do not accept deliveries with the intention of chilling them down to the correct temperature, as you cannot guarantee the food has been safe throughout transit. Record all rejected deliveries with the reason for rejection, the temperature reading, and the action taken. Notify your supplier immediately and follow up in writing. Repeated delivery failures from a supplier should trigger a review of your supplier due diligence procedures. Your HACCP or SFBB system should include a documented procedure for handling non-conforming deliveries.
Record-Keeping for EHO Inspections
EHO inspectors will ask to see your delivery check records as part of their assessment of your food safety management system. Consistent, completed records demonstrate good management and contribute to a higher confidence-in-management score. Records should show date, time, supplier, products received, temperatures recorded, and whether deliveries were accepted or rejected. Digital systems like Paddl can automate this process by prompting staff to complete delivery checks and storing records securely. Gaps in delivery records are a common reason for businesses losing marks during inspections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature should chilled food deliveries be?
The legal maximum temperature for chilled food is 8 degrees Celsius under UK food hygiene regulations. However, the FSA recommends that chilled food ideally arrives at 5 degrees Celsius or below. Specific products have stricter limits: fresh meat must be at 7 degrees Celsius or below, and minced meat at 2 degrees Celsius or below.
Can you accept a delivery that is slightly over temperature?
No. If food arrives above the legal temperature limit, it should be rejected. You cannot know how long the food has been at an unsafe temperature during transit, or whether bacteria have already multiplied to dangerous levels. Accepting over-temperature food and then chilling it does not make it safe.
How do you check the temperature of frozen deliveries?
Frozen food should be at minus 18 degrees Celsius or below. Check that packaging feels solid with no soft spots or ice crystals on the surface (which indicate thawing and refreezing). Use a probe thermometer between packages. If you cannot probe directly, check that packaging is intact and products show no visible signs of temperature abuse such as misshapen packaging or frost damage.
Do you need to record every delivery temperature?
Yes. Your food safety management system should include records of all delivery temperature checks. This is not just best practice but a practical necessity for demonstrating due diligence. EHO inspectors expect to see documented evidence that you are monitoring incoming food temperatures consistently.
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