Hot-Holding Log

Why you need it

Hot-held food must be kept at 63°C or above, with only limited exceptions. Food that drifts below that during a long service can let bacteria grow without anyone noticing.

A log of actual readings helps you show your hot holding is under control, and that staff act when it is not.

What it’s for

A sheet for recording each hot-holding check: food or batch, date and time, core temperature, and any action and recheck. It explains what to do below 63°C, including discarding food if the time below it is unknown or over 2 hours.

How to use it

1. Set a checking frequency that lets you act in time, and write it at the top with the equipment or service.
2. Probe the food core with a clean, disinfected probe, not the water or the dial.
3. If food is below 63°C, tell the supervisor, follow your documented time-control action and record the recheck.
4. Keep the sheet at the service point so the person running the pass completes it.
5. Ask a manager to review and sign each sheet before it goes in with your food safety records.