Fridge temperature: the UK law, 5°C vs 8°C, freezers and real cases

The right fridge temperature for a UK food business is 5°C or below, so that chilled food stays at or under 8°C, the legal limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland's law sets no number and asks for a fridge or a "cool ventilated place", though its official guidance uses the same 5°C and 8°C figures.

Fridge temperature at a glance

• Set the fridge at 5°C or below. That's the FSA's recommended setting, a margin under the 8°C limit.
• 8°C is the law in England, Wales and NI, in Schedule 4 of each nation's food hygiene regulations. Scotland's Schedule 4 has no figure.
• Food can go above 8°C for a while: under four hours on display (once), and short spells for transfer, defrost cycles or a breakdown.
• -18°C is a legal figure only for quick-frozen foodstuffs. For other frozen food it's guidance.
• Check at least once a day and write it down. Fines in England and Wales are unlimited in the magistrates' court.

What temperature should a fridge be?

8°C is the most the food can be, and 5°C is where you set the fridge so the food never gets near 8°C. The FSA's Safer food, better business chilled storage sheet (SFBB for caterers, published on GOV.UK 29 January 2020) says "It is recommended that fridges and chilled display equipment should be set at 5°C or below." It gives the reason: "This is to make sure that chilled food is kept at 8°C or below. This is a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and recommended in Scotland."

The gap matters because air and food don't read the same. A council guide from Eden District Council notes that "the air temperatures of refrigerators are often a few degrees lower than product temperatures", so a fridge showing 7°C can be holding food above the limit.

Some food needs colder than 8°C. SFBB says: "Some foods require storage at temperatures lower than 8°C to keep them safe so always follow the manufacturer's storage guidance." The label wins over the general rule.

Which fridge and freezer rule applies to you

The sections below give the source for every cell.

What does the law say in each UK nation?

In England the rule is Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, in force since 31 December 2013. It's an offence to keep food "which is likely to support the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms or the formation of toxins" where any commercial operation is carried out, "at or in food premises at a temperature above 8 °C". Your local council's environmental health team enforces it.

Wales and Northern Ireland use the same wording. The Welsh version is Schedule 4 of the Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006, in force since 11 January 2006. Northern Ireland's is Schedule 4 of the Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, in operation since 11 January 2006.

Scotland is the odd one out. Schedule 4 of the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006, in force since 11 January 2006, makes it an offence to keep food "otherwise than– (a) in a refrigerator or refrigerating chamber or in a cool ventilated place; or (b) at a temperature above 63°C". It has no 8°C. Food Standards Scotland's guidance fills the gap: its CookSafe temperature control house rules (Issue 1.2, May 2012) say "A food temperature of 8°C or below is effective in controlling the multiplication of most bacteria in perishable food. It is recommended practice to operate refrigerators and chills at 5°C or below."

Behind all four sits retained Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter IX. It says food that supports pathogens is "not to be kept at temperatures that might result in a risk to health. The cold chain is not to be interrupted." So a fridge at 7°C holding a product labelled "store below 5°C" can still be a breach, even under the 8°C rule.

Where the 8°C rule came from

The 8°C figure comes from the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995, which set the same chill-holding limit at regulation 4. Those regulations were revoked for England, Wales and Scotland from 1 January 2006, when new hygiene regulations took over to apply Regulation 852/2004. England's 2006 version was replaced in turn by the 2013 Regulations. The 8°C figure, the 63°C hot-holding figure and the tolerances carried over. The council guide from Eden says the current rules "are very similar in detail" to the 1995 ones. Some guides still cite the 1995 regulations as current, more than 20 years after they were revoked.

Which foods does the 8°C rule cover?

The rule bites on food that can grow pathogens or toxins: cooked dishes, dairy, cooked meats, prepared salads and sandwiches. Paragraph 3 of the English Schedule 4 lists what's exempt:

The Schedule also doesn't apply to businesses approved under Regulation 853/2004 (such as meat cutting plants) or on ships and aircraft. Mail order is handled separately. Food sent to the customer by post or carrier is outside the 8°C offence, but you mustn't send it "at a temperature which has given rise to or is likely to give rise to a risk to health". That covers chilled boxes you post out.

When can chilled food go above 8°C?

The law has defences. In England they sit in paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 4, and Wales and NI word them the same way.

1. The four-hour rule. Food kept "for service or on display for sale" for "less than four hours", which hadn't been displayed above 8°C before. In practice SFBB says "you can only do this once": food back within four hours goes into the fridge until used, and food out longer "must be thrown away". This is what lets you put out a cold buffet or a cheese board.
2. Moving it. Food being moved into or out of a vehicle or premises.
3. Unavoidable reasons, briefly. Above 8°C "for an unavoidable reason, such as" handling during preparation, "the defrosting of equipment" or "temporary breakdown of equipment", for "a limited period only and that period was consistent with food safety".
4. The manufacturer's own temperature. A maker can recommend a temperature between 8°C and ambient for a set shelf life, but only if it's "supported by a well-founded scientific assessment of the safety of the food".

If a fridge breaks down, SFBB says to "use other equipment, or move the food to a cold area. If you cannot do this, or you do not know how long the equipment has been broken down, contact the Environmental Health Team at your local council for advice."

Scotland's Schedule 4 works differently. It doesn't use a four-hour clock. Its exemptions cover food "undergoing preparation for sale", food "exposed for sale", food being cooled "as quickly as possible", and food it's "reasonable to keep otherwise" so it's conveniently available for sale.

What is the danger zone?

The danger zone is the band where bacteria grow fastest. In the words of the FSA's How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely guide (published 18 December 2017): "Defrost food in the fridge to prevent it sitting in between 8 - 63°C, which is the Danger Zone." The FSA adds that "cold temperatures don't stop bacteria growing altogether (for example, listeria monocytogenes )". So a cold fridge slows the clock on your cooked ham, and the use-by date still counts. SFBB caps high-risk ready-to-eat food at "a maximum of 3 days in total (day of cook/opening + 2) unless you have evidence that it is safe to keep them for longer."

What temperature should a freezer be?

-18°C is the usual figure, but its legal force is narrower than most guides say. In law, -18°C is a condition for quick-frozen foodstuffs: products frozen by the maker and sold as quick-frozen. Schedule 2 of the Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (England) Regulations 2007 (in force 1 March 2007) requires the food to be frozen to "–18°C or colder" and kept "no warmer than –18°C". It allows brief periods in transport "not warmer than -15°C" and a retail display cabinet "not warmer than -12°C".

The other nations match it:

• Wales: Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (Wales) Regulations 2007, Schedule 2.
• Northern Ireland: Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (No. 2) Regulations (NI) 2007, Schedule 2, in operation from 1 March 2007.
• Scotland: Quick-frozen Foodstuffs Regulations 1990, Schedule 1, as amended for Scotland in 2007.

For food a kitchen freezes itself, -18°C is guidance. CookSafe says "Freezing of food at temperatures of -18°C or below will prevent bacteria multiplying", and the FSA's home advice says a freezer "should be around -18°C". The SFBB freezing sheet tells you to check the freezer with "the digital display, a dial thermometer or a probe thermometer" but gives no figure. We found no general UK law that sets a freezer temperature for a restaurant's own frozen stock. Running at -18°C is still the safe default, and it's what an inspector will compare your log against.

How do you check a fridge temperature, and how often?

SFBB sets the minimum: "You should check the temperature of your fridges and chilled display equipment at least once a day starting with your opening checks."

1. Read the display or dial at opening.
2. Check the display is honest. SFBB says to check "that the temperature shown on the display/dial is accurate using either a fridge thermometer or a probe thermometer".
3. Probe between packs. SFBB says to check "in-between packs of chilled food using a clean, disinfected probe thermometer" to make sure the equipment is working properly.
4. Write it down, with what you did about anything off.

Once a day is SFBB's minimum. Your own plan can set more checks, such as one at close. We found nothing in the regulations that makes "twice a day" a legal requirement.

For a ready-made way to log this, see the fridge temperature check and freezer temperature check templates.

What records does an inspector expect?

No regulation names a "fridge log". The duty comes from Article 5 of Regulation 852/2004: a food safety system based on HACCP principles, with records "commensurate with the nature and size of the food business". For most kitchens, chilled storage is a point you monitor, so the record is your fridge readings. In England, Wales and NI that usually means the diary in Safer food, better business. In Scotland CookSafe uses a "Cold Food Record".

A good record shows:

• the unit, the date and time, the reading and who took it
• what you did when a reading was out, and the re-check
• that your probe was checked for accuracy

The corrective action counts as much as the number. CookSafe's own worked example: "If your refrigerator temperature Critical Limit is 5°C but your Monitoring check finds that the refrigerator is running at 12°C, then your Corrective Action could be: 'call the Maintenance Engineer and consider if the food is safe to use'." These records feed straight into your food hygiene rating.

Allergens and cross-contamination in the fridge

The fridge is where allergens and raw meat meet ready-to-eat food, and cold does nothing to allergens. The SFBB food allergy sheet says "unlike bacteria, allergens are always present in the food and cannot be removed or destroyed by cooking". It asks for stored food to be "labelled clearly listing the allergens in the food, fully covered, resealed or placed into sealed containers if needed", with spills "cleaned up quickly".

The SFBB separating foods sheet sets the shelf order:

• Ideally, use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
• If they share a unit, store "raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs below ready-to-eat food".
• "Allergen free foods should be stored separately."
• Defrost raw food "in the fridge in a covered container, below ready-to-eat food".

For the wider system, see allergen management.

Who is liable, and what are the penalties?

The offence falls on "any person who keeps" the food, so a business, its owner or a manager can be prosecuted. Directors and senior officers are also liable where the company's offence was committed with their "consent or connivance" or was "attributable to any neglect" on their part (regulation 20 in England).

The due diligence defence is where your fridge log earns its keep. You have to show you "took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence" to avoid the offence. Readings, probe checks and the action you took when a fridge failed are that evidence.

Before a prosecution, the council has other powers. A hygiene improvement notice (regulation 6) gives you "not less than 14 days" to put things right. Where there's an imminent risk to health, officers can serve a hygiene emergency prohibition notice, which a court must then confirm with an order (regulation 8). After a conviction, the court can also make a hygiene prohibition order (regulation 7). Wales, NI and Scotland have matching notice powers in their 2006 regulations. For how the main Act fits around these, see the Food Safety Act 1990 explainer. For what to expect on the day, see what an environmental health officer does.

Real cases

Grantham deli, £25,000 fine (England, 2024). South Kesteven District Council (council news release) prosecuted the owner of Oblio's Deli & Bistro, who admitted twenty charges at Boston Magistrates' Court. Two charges were straight fridge-temperature offences "contrary to schedule 4 paragraph 2 and Regulation 19(1)" of the 2013 Regulations. Sandwich fillings were at "between 12.8°C and 13.8°C in an under counter fridge" and cheeses at "14.1°C in an display counter". He had also ignored two improvement notices, and had vacuum-packed cheese without marking what it was or when it would stop being safe. The fine was £25,000, plus £5,312.72 costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge, a total of £32,312.72.

Birkby café and grill, £2,307 fine (England, 2025). Kirklees Council (council news release) found chilled salads, donner meat, curry and rice "far above the legal limit of 8°C", alongside other breaches and ignored improvement notices. At Kirklees Magistrates' Court on 20 May 2025 the owner and director was ordered to pay £6,672.33: a £2,307 fine, a £923 surcharge and £3,442.33 costs. Both businesses, La Jawab Cafe and Select Grill, got a 12-month conditional discharge. Afterwards he bought new display chillers.

Both started as warnings and became prosecutions when nothing changed.

Common mistakes and myths

A food-safety forum thread shows how easily people get lost. One UK producer said "UK doesn't seem to provide one single requirement" for cooling and was "struggling to find an exact requirement" for freezing (IFSQN forum, June 2024). On X, one user's post put it bluntly: "If your fridge temperature is 10 degrees, nothing that comes out of the kitchen is safe to eat !" Those are one person's view each, but they match the gaps above.

At home: what temperature should your fridge be?

Most people searching "fridge temperature" mean their kitchen at home. The same FSA guide says "your fridge should be between 0 and 5°C and your freezer should be around -18°C". It adds that "Using a fridge thermometer is the best way to do this and we would recommend checking once a week." The dial numbers on a domestic fridge aren't degrees, so a thermometer is the only way to know. At home, eat leftovers "within two days or freeze" them, and keep chilled food out of the fridge for "a maximum of four hours" while preparing it.

Pilla can run your fridge and freezer checks as a daily task on staff phones. It flags a reading above your limit and asks for the corrective action there and then.

FAQ

Is 8°C OK for a fridge?

8°C is the legal ceiling for the food in England, Wales and NI. A fridge running at 8°C leaves you no margin at all. Turn it down and check it again (see "What temperature should a fridge be?").

Is 7°C too warm for a commercial fridge?

It's legal if the food is at or under 8°C, but it's above the 5°C setting the FSA and FSS recommend. Treat it as a warning. Probe the food, find the cause and log what you did.

How often should I check fridge temperatures?

At least once a day, at opening (see the checking section). Add more checks if your own food safety plan calls for them.

Does the 8°C rule cover drinks in a bar fridge?

Not usually. Food that "for the duration of its shelf life may be kept at ambient temperatures with no risk to health" is exempt, which covers most canned and bottled drinks. Milk and anything labelled "keep refrigerated" isn't exempt.