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Guide · Template · Chilling

Fridge & freezer temperature log – template to print

Venheim editorial team

Updated 11 min read

Facts checked on 3 October 2026 in the German original — the cold chain under Annex II, Chapter IX of the regulation and the Austrian hygiene guideline (chapter 2.7, appendices 1a, 7, 15a and 16a) read word for word. Sources at the end of the guide; if the rules change, this guide is updated.

A temperature log records, for each fridge, the date, time, measured °C, initials and the action taken if the value is off — in Austria on every working day, ideally when work starts (hygiene guideline). Depending on the food, the maximum is +2 to +7 °C, and −18 °C or colder for frozen food. Here are four printable templates: monthly, weekly, freezer and food service — ready to use, no email address needed.

The daily temperature check of fridges and freezers is the part of HACCP own checks that comes up most often day to day — and most often ends up on a crumpled sheet on the cold-room door. This guide gives you four templates to print and explains, with sources, which limits are usual and what to do when a value is off. It is written for businesses in Austria and Germany.

Which temperatures apply?

EU Regulation 852/2004 puts it briefly: "The cold chain is not to be interrupted." Limited periods outside temperature control are allowed where needed in practice during preparation, storage or service, provided they do not put health at risk (Annex II, Chapter IX, point 5). It names no single required value "for the fridge" — the usual values come from rules per food group and from hygiene guidelines:

Fridges

Depending on the food, at most +2 to +7 °C (table below). AGES, the Austrian food safety agency, gives 1 to 5 °C as the ideal fridge temperature; sensitive food needs the stricter values.

Freezers

−18 °C or colder — regulated by law for quick-frozen food (in Germany § 2 TLMV). The limit is −15 °C, on delivery as in storage (hygiene guideline, appendix 15a).

Hot holding

After cooking, keep as hot as possible and in any case above +70 °C (hygiene guideline, appendix 16a), for 3 hours at most according to the WKO handbook. Reheat chilled dishes to a core temperature of at least +75 °C before serving (WKO handbook).

Cooling and thawing

Cool "as quickly as possible", the regulation requires (Annex II, Chapter IX, point 6); the hygiene guideline for large kitchens of December 2025 gives 65 to 10 °C core temperature in 90 minutes at most. Thaw so that germs grow as little as possible, and let thaw water drain where it is a risk (point 7).

Food groupLimitTarget
Fresh red meat (all kinds)+7 °C+4 °C
Meat preparations, poultry, small game+4 °C+2 °C
Mince+2 °C0 °C
Fresh fish (temperature of melting ice)+3 °C0 °C
Fresh milk+6 °C+4 °C
Other chilled food without a specific rule+7 °C+4 °C

Values from the WKO food hygiene handbook (as of 07/2025), derived there from Regulation (EC) 853/2004 — formally limits for incoming goods; for mince sold only nationally, +4 °C limit and +2 °C target apply. Manufacturer specifications, your official approval and your own HACCP plan always come first — which is why the target field on the templates is left blank on purpose.

Temperature checks in a restaurant: what gets recorded

The WKO handbook describes the log precisely: one column for the date, one for the measured temperature, one for the person's initials — plus the target temperature right on the log and room for the action if the value is off. The templates below follow exactly this layout.

Date, time, °C

When it was measured and what the thermometer showed — entered at the time, not reconstructed later.

Initials

Who measured. Only the person on the entry turns the log into a record.

Target & action

The target value is on the log or on the appliance (a sticker for it is in appendix 8 of the hygiene guideline); if the value is off, note what was done — moved, technician called, goods thrown away.

The templates to print

Four logs for the most common cases: a monthly log per fridge, a compact weekly log for several appliances, the freezer log with a fixed target, and a log for food service and hot holding. You enter target values yourself as your business's standard — they depend on your food and your own HACCP plan. Rather with your own appliances, limits and the weekdays of the month? The temperature log tool builds them in the browser, without an account (in German for now).

To put on the wall: this page has a print version — only the temperature logs is printed, without header or advertising. On a computer press Ctrl/Cmd + P; the print dialogue can also save it as a PDF.

Template 1: monthly log for one fridge

One sheet per appliance and month — 31 rows, dates filled in. Works well on the appliance door.

Appliance / location: Month / year: Target: at most °C (your business's standard — enter your own value)

DateTimeMeasured (°C)InitialsAction if off target
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

Template 2: weekly log for several appliances

One sheet per week for the whole business — a row per appliance, a column per day. Handy when one person does the round of all appliances.

Week from: to:

ApplianceTarget (°C)MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

In each day's cell: the measured °C and initials. Note deviations with the action on the appliance's monthly log or on the back of the sheet.

Template 3: freezer log

Like the monthly log, but with a fixed target: quick-frozen food must be kept at −18 °C or colder — this value is set by law and is therefore already on the log.

Appliance / location: Month / year: Target: −18 °C or colder (set by law for frozen food)

DateTimeMeasured (°C)InitialsAction if off target
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

Template 4: food service and hot holding

For buffet, pass and hot-holding containers — one row per dish and measurement.

Target: at least °C (guide: above +70 °C according to the hygiene guideline, 3 hours at most according to the WKO handbook; the binding value is in your business's own HACCP plan)

DateTimeDishMeasured (°C)InitialsAction if off target

How often to check, how long to keep

The law stays general: the cold chain must not be interrupted, and records are kept for an "appropriate period". In Austria, the Ministry of Health's hygiene guideline for retail businesses makes it concrete — and EU law expressly counts restaurants and large kitchens as "retail" (Art. 3(7) Regulation 178/2002). Each row says whether it is law, guideline or recommendation.

Temperature checks: frequency and retention

  • every working day

    Read fridges and freezers and enter the values, ideally when work starts

    Guideline · ATHygiene guideline, chapters 2.7 and 3.3

    The EU regulation itself sets no interval.

  • regularly

    Check the thermometer: about 0 °C in iced water, about 100 °C in boiling water — with an entry if possible

    Guideline · ATHygiene guideline, appendix 1a

    The WKO handbook recommends calibrating once a year.

  • at least 1 year

    Keep the readings of recording thermometers

    Guideline · ATHygiene guideline, chapter 2.7

  • 2 months beyond shelf life, at least 1 year

    Keep deviations together with the action taken

    Guideline · ATHygiene guideline, chapter 2.7

  • an appropriate period

    HACCP records in general, including the handwritten log

    Law · EUArt. 5(4)(c) Regulation (EC) 852/2004

    For the handwritten log we also recommend at least one year.

What applies to cleaning and other records, and where the tax retention periods are longer, is explained in the glossary entry on record retention periods.

When a value is off

The hygiene guideline distinguishes two values: the target, meaning the product temperature set by the manufacturer, and the limit — the target plus 3 °C, or −15 °C for frozen food (appendix 15a). What to do depends on where the measured value lies:

MeasuredWhat to do
Above target, below the limitKeep an eye on the goods. If the excess is relevant and lasting, shorten the best-before date or use the goods in good time before it runs out.
Above the limit, in storageCheck the goods immediately, move them or process them straight away if needed. If they are "not safe", take them off the market.
Above the limit, on deliveryReject the goods.

Wording after appendix 15a of the hygiene guideline for retail businesses, identical in appendices 14a and 16a.

Record it

Where (room, area, appliance), when, which action and who, with date and signature — the guideline's model (appendix 7). Keep it at least two months beyond the shelf life of the goods, at least one year (chapter 2.7).

So it doesn't happen again

Don't leave doors open needlessly, report faults straight away, keep to defrosting and cleaning intervals (information sheet 7 of the guideline); have the cooling units serviced regularly (WKO handbook).

No more sheets on the cold-room door

The printed log does its job — until it is full, crumpled or lost while being typed up for the record. In Venheim the temperature of each appliance is one tap on the phone: every entry carries person and time, if a value is over the limit the app asks for the action straight away, and the monthly record is an Excel file at the press of a button. Start free, no payment details.

The temperature log without paper: every reading with time and person, the monthly record at the push of a button.Demo data from the sample business Cafe Sunshine, app shown in German
Start free

Try Premium for 30 days, no payment details. After that your business carries on free on the Start plan; records stay readable and exportable.

The sign-up form is in German for now. Inside the app, everyone picks their own language — nine languages, English included.

Related

HACCP records, digitalTemperatures per appliance, cleaning and best-before dates as a monthly record — as Excel, automatically.HACCP checklistTemperature checks are one part of your own checks — here are all the checkpoints to tick off.

Frequently asked questions

What temperature does a restaurant fridge have to be?
There is no single required value for the appliance, but rules per food: fresh red meat at most +7 °C, poultry +4 °C, mince +2 °C, fresh milk +6 °C; for chilled food without a specific rule, +7 °C is the limit and +4 °C the target (WKO handbook, derived from Regulation 853/2004). AGES, the Austrian food safety agency, gives 1 to 5 °C as the ideal fridge temperature. The Austrian hygiene guideline calculates the limit from the target: the product temperature set by the manufacturer plus 3 °C, and −15 °C for frozen food (appendix 15a). Manufacturer specifications and your own HACCP plan always come first.
How often does the fridge temperature have to be checked?
In Austria every working day, ideally when work starts; once a week is not enough. That is what the hygiene guideline for retail businesses says (chapter 2.7; in the summary, chapter 3.3, "once a day before starting work"), and with appendix 1b it also covers hospitality businesses with an extensive menu. The WKO handbook likewise calls for a daily check with a record, and the UK Food Standards Agency advises: at least once a day, starting with your opening checks. The EU regulation itself sets no interval — what binds you is your own HACCP plan. What matters is that values are entered at the time, not at the end of the month from memory.
What do I do if the temperature goes over the limit?
If the fridge is too warm, so the measured value is above the limit: act first, then record. The hygiene guideline draws the line at the limit temperature, the target plus 3 °C, or −15 °C for frozen food: if the value in storage is above it, the goods are checked immediately, moved or processed straight away if needed and, if they are "not safe", taken off the market; on delivery they are rejected (appendix 15a). The entry says where, when, which action and who (appendix 7) — that is why every template has the column "Action if off target". A deviation noted without the action proves the problem, but not the response.
How long do temperature logs have to be kept?
In Austria, according to the hygiene guideline for retail businesses (chapter 2.7), the readings of recording thermometers are kept for at least one year, and deviations with the action taken for at least two months beyond the shelf life, at least one year. The law itself only says "an appropriate period" (Art. 5(4) Regulation 852/2004); for the handwritten log we also recommend at least one year. How this differs from the tax retention periods is explained in our glossary entry on record retention periods.
Is the appliance's built-in thermometer enough?
As a measuring device yes, as a record no. The hygiene guideline requires a temperature gauge in every fridge and freezer, a recording or minimum–maximum thermometer in cold rooms and freezer rooms, and a recording one in any freezer installation over 10 m³ (chapter 2.7). Whether it measures correctly is shown by a simple test: about 0 °C in iced water, about 100 °C in boiling water (appendix 1a); the WKO handbook recommends calibrating once a year. Storage monitored automatically with an alarm also needs a thermometer for visual checks. The display on the door does not replace the recorded check — it is only the instrument for it.
Can I keep the temperature log digitally instead of on paper?
Yes. What is required is the record, not the medium — the WKO handbook also assumes electronic temperature records for monitored storage. Digital has two advantages: each entry carries person and time automatically, and the monthly record is produced at the press of a button instead of typing up sheets. In Venheim the temperature of each appliance is one tap on the phone; if the value is off target, the app asks for the action straight away.

Sources

About Venheim

Venheim is operations software for hospitality, studios and retail — built inside a real business and used there every day. Every feature and every guide comes from that daily work and is tested against it. More about Venheim. Not legal advice — where in doubt, the authority, the chamber or a law firm has the final word.

Important: not legal advice

This guide gives a general overview and is expressly not legal advice. The limits given are documented guide and target values — which temperatures are binding for your business depends on the food, the manufacturer's specifications, your official approval and your own HACCP plan. Where in doubt, the food inspection authority, the chamber or a law firm has the final word.