Maintaining the correct fridge temperature is an essential part of food safety for restaurants, cafés, takeaways and other food businesses across the UK. Incorrect chilled storage can allow harmful bacteria to grow, increasing the risk of foodborne illness and potentially affecting your customers, reputation and business operations.
So, what temperature should a commercial fridge be in the UK?
Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance recommends setting commercial fridges and chilled display equipment at 5°C or below. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, most chilled foods subject to temperature control must be kept at 8°C or below. Scotland has a different legal framework, so businesses should follow applicable Scottish requirements and their food safety procedures.
Keeping your fridge at 5°C or below provides a practical safety margin and helps maintain suitable chilled storage conditions.
In this guide, FooddSure explains commercial fridge temperature guidance, daily temperature checks, food storage practices and what to do when a fridge becomes too warm.
For most restaurants, cafés and takeaways, the recommended commercial fridge operating temperature is 5°C or below.
This is the recommended operating target, rather than the general legal maximum in every UK nation.
| Temperature guidance | What it means for your business |
|---|---|
| 5°C or below | Recommended fridge setting to help keep chilled food sufficiently cold. |
| 8°C or below | The legal temperature limit for most chilled foods requiring temperature control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, subject to applicable exceptions. |
| Below 5°C | May provide an additional safety margin, provided the food does not freeze or suffer damage from excessively low temperatures. |
| Above your established safe limit | Investigate the cause, assess affected food and follow your corrective-action procedure. |
In Scotland, food businesses must comply with the applicable Scottish food hygiene legislation. Food Standards Scotland recommends operating refrigerators at 5°C or below and explains that 8°C or below is effective in controlling the multiplication of most bacteria in perishable food. Your own food safety procedures should establish appropriate limits for the food and processes involved.
Official guidance: Food Standards Agency — Chilling food correctly in your business
Refrigeration slows the growth of many harmful bacteria. However, chilling does not necessarily kill bacteria or stop all bacterial growth.
Restaurants and other food businesses regularly handle products that require temperature control, including:
If these foods are stored too warm, harmful bacteria may multiply more quickly, increasing food safety risks.
Correct refrigeration helps food businesses protect customers, follow their food safety management procedures and maintain consistent standards.
It also supports good stock management by helping businesses follow product storage instructions and use-by dates appropriately.
Food businesses must understand the distinction between recommended operating temperatures and legal requirements.
Under the applicable food hygiene rules, most chilled foods that require temperature control must be kept at 8°C or below, subject to permitted exceptions and specific product requirements.
The FSA recommends setting fridges and chilled display equipment at 5°C or below to help ensure food remains within the required temperature limit.
Businesses should also maintain suitable procedures for monitoring temperatures and responding to problems.
Scottish food businesses must follow the applicable Scottish food hygiene legislation and Food Standards Scotland guidance.
Food Standards Scotland recommends operating fridges at 5°C or below. Food businesses should establish appropriate temperature limits within their food safety procedures, taking account of the foods handled and the risks involved.
Some foods may be subject to specific temperature requirements, and food hygiene rules include limited flexibility in certain circumstances.
Businesses should not assume that every chilled product can be stored above the recommended temperature simply because a general limit exists. Manufacturer instructions, product-specific legislation, shelf-life considerations and the business's own food safety controls may all be relevant.
For official information, consult:
Food businesses should establish a consistent routine for checking their refrigeration equipment.
The FSA's Safer Food, Better Business guidance recommends checking fridges and chilled display equipment at least once a day, starting with opening checks.
Depending on your operation, food safety risks and equipment, additional checks may be appropriate.
A practical temperature monitoring routine should include:
For busy kitchens, monitoring may need to be more frequent, especially where doors are opened repeatedly, food is loaded in large quantities or refrigeration equipment is under heavy demand.
A temperature log is only useful when staff carry out the checks accurately and respond to problems.
A fridge's display or temperature dial can help you monitor equipment, but it may not always show the actual temperature of the food.
Use an appropriate, reliable thermometer and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Look at the fridge's digital display or built-in thermometer. If it shows a reading outside your target range, investigate before relying on the equipment for further storage.
Use a suitable fridge thermometer or an appropriate clean, disinfected probe thermometer to check the temperature, following your monitoring procedure.
When checking food directly, take care not to contaminate it. Clean and disinfect the probe between uses according to your procedures.
Write down the actual temperature, date, time and the name or initials of the person completing the check, according to your recordkeeping system.
Avoid recording a standard target temperature instead of the actual reading.
If the fridge is warmer than your established limit, check whether the door has been left open, the appliance is overloaded, airflow is obstructed or the equipment may be faulty.
Document what happened, what action was taken and how the safety of affected food was assessed.
Your business's food safety management system should explain how to handle temperature deviations.
If your fridge is reading above 5°C, do not automatically assume that all the food is unsafe. However, do not ignore the reading simply because the temperature remains below 8°C.
The 5°C recommendation provides a useful operating target, and a higher reading may indicate that the fridge needs adjustment or investigation.
Follow these steps:
Verify the temperature using a suitable thermometer and establish whether the issue concerns the appliance, the food or both.
Check the door seal, airflow, thermostat, loading level and any signs of equipment failure.
Consider the actual food temperature, how long it has been exposed to unsuitable conditions, the type of food and any applicable product requirements. Do not rely on smell or appearance to determine safety.
Follow your food safety procedures. This may involve restoring safe refrigeration, transferring food to suitable equipment or discarding food where safety cannot be established.
Document the reading, assessment, action taken and any follow-up required.
If the fridge cannot maintain its required temperature, arrange repairs or use suitable alternative refrigeration before relying on it for temperature-controlled food.
Correct refrigeration involves more than setting the thermostat. The way food is loaded, covered and organised also matters.
Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods to reduce cross-contamination risks. Where raw foods are stored above other products, leaks or drips can contaminate food below.
Use suitable covered containers and organise storage according to your food safety procedures.
Overloading can restrict airflow and prevent the equipment from maintaining a consistent temperature.
Leave sufficient space for air to circulate and avoid blocking vents.
Frequent or prolonged door opening can affect internal temperatures. Organise ingredients so staff can access them quickly and return products to refrigeration promptly.
Always check labels and manufacturer instructions. Some foods require specific storage conditions or have additional requirements once opened.
Use a clear stock rotation system and manage use-by dates appropriately. Food must not be used beyond its use-by date merely because it appears or smells acceptable.
Fridges, refrigerated counters and display cabinets all need suitable temperature controls. Follow your procedures for each piece of equipment rather than assuming that one reading covers every storage area.
Cooked food that will not be served immediately should be cooled as quickly as possible and refrigerated promptly, in accordance with your food safety procedures.
Large containers of hot food can take longer to cool, so consider practical methods such as:
Avoid placing large quantities of very hot food directly into a fridge if doing so could raise the temperature of other stored food.
Follow the relevant food safety guidance and your established cooling procedure. If food has not been cooled safely, assess it according to your corrective-action procedure rather than assuming refrigeration will make it safe.
For additional advice, see the FSA's Safe Catering guidance.
A temperature log helps your team monitor equipment and demonstrate how your food safety procedures are being followed.
Your recordkeeping system may include:
| Record field | Information to record |
|---|---|
| Date and time | When the check took place |
| Equipment ID | The fridge, freezer or display unit checked |
| Actual temperature | The reading obtained |
| Staff initials | Who carried out the check |
| Problem identified | Any reading outside the established limit or other concern |
| Corrective action | What was done to address the problem |
| Follow-up | Whether the equipment and food were reassessed |
A paper checklist or digital record can work, provided it is accurate, accessible and used consistently.
Keep records in line with your food safety management system and applicable requirements.
FooddSure can help businesses review their food safety procedures, monitoring systems and documentation.
Learn more about FooddSure Consultancy Services.
Food businesses can reduce avoidable risks by looking out for these common problems.
Reviewing these issues regularly can help restaurant managers, café owners and takeaway operators maintain more consistent food safety practices.
Maintaining correct fridge temperatures is one part of a wider food safety management system.
Food businesses also need appropriate procedures for food handling, cleaning, cross-contamination prevention, staff training and corrective action.
FooddSure provides food safety-related training, consultancy and audit services to support businesses in reviewing their practices and identifying areas for improvement.
Explore our services:
For more practical food safety information, visit the FooddSure blog.
Correct commercial fridge temperature management is a daily responsibility for restaurants, cafés and takeaways.
Setting fridges at 5°C or below, carrying out regular checks, recording actual readings and responding promptly to problems can help businesses maintain safe chilled storage.
Remember that refrigeration is only one part of food safety. Staff training, safe food handling, cleaning, stock rotation and effective food safety procedures are also essential.