Milk Fridge

Why you need it

Milk spoils quickly if it is left out or stored warm, and it often goes straight into drinks for customers. Fridges at coffee stations and bars are opened constantly, so they need checking as closely as any kitchen fridge.

Milk is also one of the 14 allergens, so keep it where splashes and spills cannot reach dairy-free alternatives stored nearby.

What it’s for

A sign for the fridge that holds milk: a 5°C or below operating target, milk returned promptly and kept closed, the earliest date used first, at least daily checks, and no topping up old milk with new. It belongs on the milk fridge itself.

How to use it

1. Fix it on the door or front of the milk fridge at the coffee station, bar or counter, where staff open it most.
2. Add the milk fridge to your opening checks and record its temperature at least once a day.
3. Put new deliveries behind older milk so the earliest date is used first.
4. If the fridge is above target, find out how warm the milk is and how long it has been like that before deciding whether to keep it.
5. Throw away milk left out on the counter or warmed during service.