Food Temperature Regulations for Businesses

In the UK, the Food Standards Agency, or FSA, are the regulatory body responsible for food safety and hygiene in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is an independent department that works with local authorities to enforce standards and regulations in regard to catering and foodservice businesses.

The vast majority of the population will buy food in some form, whether that’s eating out in restaurants, grabbing a quick sandwich for lunch from a cafe or bakery or even buying everyday foods from shops and supermarkets. The FSA ensures that all food produced for general consumption is prepared within safety guidelines to protect public health.

But what important terms and temperature guidelines should businesses be aware of?

The Danger Zone/Food Danger Zone

This range is classed as temperatures from 8°C – 63°C. The temperatures within this range represent optimum conditions that bacteria can grow and multiply. It is critical to minimise the time that food spends within this range to limit bacteria growth.

Food should never sit within the danger zone in excess of 2 hours. Whether during cooking, holding and displaying, or chilling and freezing food, it is the time spent in this danger zone that must be kept to a minimum, and that FSA guidelines enforce.

Cooking Temperatures

Cooking temperatures, particularly with fresh meat that is known to hold bacteria, are critical in minimising food related illnesses. While you can look for visual signals as to whether meats are correctly cooked, such as no pinkness, steaming throughout, and clear juices, it is necessary to use a food thermometer to measure the core temperatures of foods and determine whether they are indeed, safe to eat.

  • Guidelines state that core food temperatures must hold a consistent measurement of 70°C for 2 minutes to be considered ‘cooked’.

Alternatively, any configuration of time and temperature as laid out here, can also be used.

  • core temperatures of 60°C for 45 minutes
  • core temperatures of 65°C for 10 minutes
  • core temperatures of 75°C for 30 seconds
  • core temperatures of 80°C for 6 seconds

Hot Holding Temperatures

Foods, once cooked should always remain above 63°C in line with food safety guidelines and to stay out of the food danger zone. Hot foods can be displayed outside of heated equipment, if necessary for a maximum of 2 hours. After this, they must either be returned to hot holding equipment. If foods remain at ambient temperatures for longer than 2 hours they must be disposed of. This can only be done once.

Blast Chilling & Freezing

Food poisoning cases typically stem from either incorrect cooking or from unsafe chilling and freezing of cooked foods. During busy services, many professional kitchens may choose to pre-cook certain dishes during food prep, chill them or freeze them, and then reheat when they are needed during service.

When cooked foods are chilled or frozen they must pass through the food danger zone, and to minimise bacterial growth this must be done within a specified length of time.

Blast chilling – 70°C to 3°C within 90 minutes.

Blast freezing – 70°C to-18°C with in 240 minutes.

All equipment must comply and perform to these standards. Blast chilling and blast freezing equipment will specify the maximum capacity it is capable of safely chilling or freezing in one program, within these guidelines.

Some blast chilling and freezing equipment brands may exceed these guidelines, being able to chill from 90°C to 3°C and freeze from 90°C to -18°C within the respective time frames.

General Refrigeration Temperatures

For general storage and display products must remain below a maximum of 8°C, however it is recommended to aim for 5°C, and no lower than 0°C.

General Freezing Temperatures

Frozen products must be stored or displayed between -18°C and -23°C.

These recommendations will vary depending on the type of produce being chilled or frozen.

e.g. fresh meat approx. -2°C to +2°C

fresh fish approx. -1°C to +1°C

soft scoop ice cream approx. -12°C to -18°C to allow product to be scooped – ice cream must be returned to lower temperatures in holding freezer for storage when not being scooped and served.

For more about storage and display temperature recommendations for specific foods and drinks, FFD Commercial Refrigeration provide a handy quick reference guide.