Chilling and freezing

Cold slows bacteria down, but it does not kill them. Keep chilled food cold from delivery until it is served. Food that needs chilling includes food with a use-by date, food labelled 'keep refrigerated', cooked food and ready-to-eat foods such as salads and desserts.

The rules differ across the UK. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the law says chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below. This limit applies to the food. Set your fridge to 5°C or below, so that the food stays cold enough even if the temperature rises.

In Scotland, the law sets no fixed number. Chilled food must be kept in a fridge or a cool ventilated place. Food Standards Scotland recommends 5°C or below.

Many businesses check fridges and freezers at least once a day and record the reading. If a fridge is running warm, tell your supervisor. Check the food with a probe and move it to a working fridge. Your supervisor will decide what can be kept. Do not overfill a fridge, keep the door closed and report a damaged door seal. The time food spends out of the fridge adds up, so take out only what you need.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland also allow a tolerance for cold food. Chilled food on display or ready for service can be kept above 8°C once, for less than 4 hours. If it goes back to 8°C or below before the 4 hours are up, keep it chilled until it is used. Otherwise, throw it away. It cannot be displayed above 8°C a second time. So a platter put out at noon in Cardiff must be back in the fridge before 4pm, or else be thrown away. Scotland has no such tolerance, so do not use it there.

Keep frozen food at −18°C or colder. Freeze food before its use-by date and note the date you froze it. Cool cooked dishes before you put them in the freezer.

Defrost food in a fridge, in a covered container on the bottom shelf, so that drips cannot reach other food. Do not defrost food on the side or in warm water. Defrosting food that sits between 8°C and 63°C can grow bacteria. Do not refreeze defrosted food unless you have cooked it first.