Cooler temperature log.

Food temperature is not cooler air temperature.

A controller display, air thermometer or thermostat setpoint does not measure the temperature inside food. Air readings help describe equipment performance; food measurements answer a different question. Never copy the setpoint or air reading into the food-temperature column.

Use an appropriate food thermometer and the measuring procedure in your food-safety plan. Identify the food and the location checked, use a suitable probe for the product, allow the reading to stabilize, and clean and sanitize the probe as required between uses. Verify thermometer accuracy and calibration according to its instructions and your procedures. An infrared surface reading is not an internal food-temperature measurement.

If no food measurement was taken, write “not measured” rather than implying that the food was checked. Record where the air reading came from—such as the controller display or a separate thermometer—and keep that location consistent when comparing trends. The FDA and NC codes distinguish food thermometers from ambient-air devices; see sections 4-203.11, 4-203.12, 4-302.12 and 4-502.11 in the sources below.

What temperature should cold-held food be?

The general cold-holding limit for time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food is 41°F (5°C) or below. Section 3-501.16(A)(2) in the FDA Food Code and North Carolina Food Code Manual gives this limit. It is a food-temperature requirement, not a universal cooler thermostat setting.

There are specific exceptions and separate rules, including provisions for certain raw shell eggs and particular equipment or processes. Preparation, cooking, cooling and properly established time-as-a-public-health-control procedures are not interchangeable with ordinary cold holding. This sheet does not establish those procedures or authorize an exception. Ask your person in charge and local health department which requirements apply to your food and operation.

The FDA Food Code is a model for jurisdictions to adopt; it is not itself a claim that every jurisdiction uses the same edition. The linked North Carolina manual identifies its adopted edition. Verify applicable local requirements rather than treating this general guide as your establishment’s approved plan.

How to use the log

1. Set up the sheet. Enter the facility, date and unit/location. Write the monitoring schedule and action limits from your food-safety plan; do not use the number of printed rows to choose a schedule.
2. Measure and identify. Enter the actual time, the food checked and its measured temperature. Enter the air reading separately and identify the device or location. Initial the row at the time of the check.
3. Record exceptions immediately. For an unexpected reading, missed check or alarm, record what happened rather than filling in a guessed temperature. Link the row to a numbered action note.
4. Document the response. Note who was notified, when, the action taken under your approved procedures and the actual recheck time and temperature. Identify whether the recheck was food or air.
5. Review and retain. Have the responsible person review unresolved issues. Keep records according to your establishment’s plan and local requirements. Keep associated incident records and repair work orders together.

How often should temperatures be checked?

Use the frequency specified by your operator’s food-safety plan, applicable requirements and local regulatory authority. Assign responsibility by shift and specify what happens when a check is missed. This guide does not prescribe a universal “twice daily” rule or a records-retention period. Automated air monitoring can be useful, but does not by itself establish the temperature or safety of every food item.

If a reading is out of range

Promptly notify the person in charge about unexplained excursions or missing temperature history. Follow your approved food-safety and incident-response procedures, and consult the local health department when the appropriate response is unclear. Record the affected food, readings, times, available history and actions. Do not wait for a repair appointment to make the required food-safety response.

A later normal reading does not establish that food was safe throughout an earlier excursion. Do not decide to keep, serve, cool or discard food from this sheet alone: the person in charge must evaluate the situation under the applicable approved plan and regulatory guidance. This resource is not a cooling log, a time-control plan or an emergency food-disposition chart.

When the log points to an equipment issue

Repeated air-temperature changes, unexplained alarms or a unit that cannot maintain its normal operating conditions deserve an equipment assessment. Record the model, symptoms, door activity, displayed settings and known power interruptions. Do not open electrical panels, bypass controls or attempt refrigerant work.

Share the temperature history when arranging walk-in cooler repair, reach-in refrigeration repair or refrigeration maintenance. Commercial Cooler Repair handles the equipment-service conversation; repair service does not decide whether food is safe. Call 704-445-2255 to discuss equipment and availability.

Official sources and scope

• FDA Food Code 2022, print version (PDF): section 3-501.16 (holding temperatures and exceptions); sections 4-203.11–12, 4-302.12 and 4-502.11 (temperature-measuring devices).
• North Carolina Food Code Manual, effective October 1, 2021 (PDF): section 3-501.16, printed page 95, and thermometer provisions. The manual identifies NC’s adoption of the 2017 FDA Food Code.
• NCDHHS: Changes to Cold Holding Temperatures in NC (PDF): background on the 41°F cold-holding requirement and direction to contact the local health department with questions.

Sources reviewed October 5, 2026. Confirm updates and establishment-specific requirements with your local authority. This independently prepared resource is not FDA or NCDHHS approved and does not certify compliance.

Download the blank daily cooler temperature log (PDF)