How do you ensure food is stored and kept at the recommended temperature?

When it comes to keeping food safe, food storage is a major issue. 

Food which is not correctly stored can spoil or become contaminated, which can then lead to making people sick.

Food storage refers to food which is kept it the fridge, freezer, pantry or in some instances a warming receptacle. There are very specific rules regarding the temperatures that food must be stored at, cooked to and reheated to and if not followed, the risk of becoming ill as a result of contamination increases.

General Food Storage

Ensuring that food is properly stored goes a long way towards maintaining a high level of food safety and keeping yourself and others safe. One of the first things to check regarding food which has been stored in the ‘use-by’ or ‘best-before’ dates printed on the packaging.

These dates will give you the most accurate indication of a food’s shelf life, however, when a packet or can is opened, the expiry date almost always changes.

Food should be stored in clean, dry, sanitary containers that are airtight if possible. This will help keep food for longer and reduce the risk of contamination. Food should also be stored off the floor when possible in order to help prevent against pests and other contamination.

Always remember that it is better to be cautious when it comes to food safety and ‘if in doubt, throw it out.’

Refrigerating and Freezing Food

To reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, many foods must be stored in the refrigerator and thus kept below 5 degrees Celsius. These foods are often classified as ‘high-risk foods’ and include – meat, poultry, dairy, seafood, eggs, smallgoods and cooked rice and pasta. This also refers to ready-to-eat foods that have high-risk foods as ingredients and include – casseroles, quiche, pasta salad, pizza, sandwiches and many cakes.

By keeping these high-risk foods under 5 degrees Celsius it stops them from entering the ‘danger-zone’ – temperatures between 5 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius. The danger-zone is the temperature zone which provides bacteria with the perfect environment to rapidly grow and multiply to numbers that cause food poisoning.

By freezing food its longevity is increased because the water content of the food freezes – this prevents bacteria from multiplying and food spoiling. Food should be kept frozen at -18 degrees Celsius; when thawing, it should be stored in a refrigerator that reaches no more than 5 degrees Celsius until it is ready to be prepared.

Fridges and freezers should be equipped with thermometers so that you can easily check and record the temperatures inside to ensure they are working properly and keeping food out of the danger-zone. Use a weekly checklist to ensure that temperature checks are being done twice a day — click here to download a free Fridge Freezer Temperature Checklist. 

It's important to remember that freezing food does not eliminate bacteria and when the food thaws, bacteria will begin growing and multiplying again. It is also important to avoid refreezing food which has already been frozen and thawed as food which is frozen for the second time is more likely to have a higher bacteria count.

When refrigerating and freezing food it is important to keep raw and cooked foods separate as well as storing cooked food above raw food to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

Cooking and Reheating Food

When it comes to cooking and reheating food, temperatures are just as important as storing food. Even if food has been properly frozen or refrigerated there will still likely be some bacteria present so heating food to a safe temperature will lower the risk of food poisoning.

High-risk food must be heated to at least 75 degrees Celsius in order to reduce the number of bacteria to a safe level of consumption. Once the food has been heated to this temperature it should not be allowed to drop under 60 degrees Celsius until it is served. This goes for both cooking and reheating food and the best way to monitor the temperature is to purchase a food thermometer.

After the food has been cooked to this temperature it should be eaten or refrigerated within two hours. Food which has been kept in the Temperature Danger Zone (between 5 – 60 degrees Celsius) for between two and four hours cannot be put back in the refrigerator and must be consumed. Any food which remains in the Temperature Danger Zone for four or more hours must be discarded.

Hot food which is to be refrigerated or frozen should first be put in separate shallow containers to allow it to cool faster, rather than being left in one container. Also, food that is heated in a microwave should be periodically stirred while heating as microwaves rarely evenly cook food.

The food safety standards specify that potentially hazardous foods must be stored, displayed and transported at safe temperatures and, where possible, prepared at safe temperatures. However, you can also use time, rather than temperature, to keep food safe. This method is explained under ' The 2 hour/4 hour guide' .

Safe temperatures are 5°C or colder, or 60°C or hotter. Potentially hazardous food needs to be kept at these temperatures to prevent food-poisoning bacteria, which may be present in the food, from multiplying to dangerous levels. These bacteria can grow at temperatures between 5°C and 60°C, which is known as the temperature danger zone. The fastest rate of growth is at around 37°C, the temperature of the human body.

The food safety standards also require you to have a thermometer if you prepare, handle or sell potentially hazardous food. This will enable you to check that safe temperatures are being maintained.

What foods are potentially hazardous?

Foods normally considered to be potentially hazardous are:

  • raw meats, cooked meats and food containing meat, such as casseroles, curries, lasagne and meat pies
  • dairy products and foods containing dairy products, such as milk, cream, custard and dairy-based desserts
  • seafood (excluding live seafood) and food containing seafood, such as seafood salad
  • processed fruits and vegetables, such as prepared salads and ready-to-eat fruit packs
  • cooked rice and pasta
  • processed foods containing eggs, beans, nuts or other protein-rich food, such as quiche and soya bean products
  • foods that contain any of the above foods, such as sandwiches, rice salads and pasta salads.

Keeping food cold

When you are preparing food, make sure that you have enough refrigerator space or insulated boxes with ice bricks to store the food. It is important to remember that refrigerators do not work properly when they are overloaded or when food is packed tightly, because the cold air cannot circulate.

If you are running out of room in your refrigerator, remove foods that are not potentially hazardous, such as drinks. The temperature of these foods is not critical and they can be kept cool in insulated containers with ice or ice blocks.

Cooling foods

If potentially hazardous foods have to be cooled, their temperature should be reduced as quickly as possible. The temperature should fall from 60°C to 21°C in less than two hours and be reduced to 5°C or colder in the next four hours. It is difficult to cool food within these times unless you put food into shallow containers.

Keeping food hot

If you are keeping food hot on cooktops, in ovens or in bain marie units, the equipment needs to be set high enough to ensure that the food remains hot ( 60 ° C or hotter).

The 2 hour / 4 hour guide

Although potentially hazardous food should be kept at 5°C or colder or 60°C or hotter wherever possible, this food can be safely between 5°C and 60°C provided it is between these temperatures for less than four hours. This is because it takes more than four hours for food-poisoning bacteria to grow to dangerous levels.

The 2 hour/4 hour guide applies to ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food. It provides guidance on how long this type of food can be held safely at temperatures between 5°C and 60°C and what should happen to it after certain times. The times refer to the life of the food, including preparation and cooling, not just to display times, so remember to add up the total time that the food has been between 5°C and 60°C.

Total time limit between 5°C and 60°C

What you should do

Less than 2 hours

Refrigerate or use immediately

Between 2 hours and 4 hours

Use immediately

More than 4 hours

Throw out

Why have a thermometer?

A thermometer is essential in ensuring that food is kept at safe temperatures. If your organisation prepares, handles or sells any potentially hazardous food, it must have a thermometer which is accurate to ±1°C. This means that when the thermometer shows a temperature of 5°C, the actual temperature will be between 4°C and 6°C. The thermometer must be available for use when foods are being prepared, so you may need more than one if foods are prepared in different places.

How to clean and sanitise your thermometer

As the probe of the thermometer will be inserted into food, the probe must be cleaned and sanitised before it is used to measure the temperature of the food. This is especially important when the thermometer is used to measure the temperature of raw food and then ready-to-eat food, for example raw chicken and cooked chicken. To clean and sanitise your thermometer:

  • wash the probe to remove any grease and food particles;
  • sanitise the probe using alcohol wipes or very hot water; and
  • thoroughly dry the probe using a disposable towel or let it air dry.

Checking temperatures of food

  • Determine the warmest area of a coolroom or the coldest area of a hot display unit.
  • Insert the clean, dry probe into the food.
  • Remember that temperature readings are not instant- wait until the temperature has stabilised before reading.
  • Stabilise the thermometer between measuring hot and cold foods by allowing the thermometer to come back to room temperature.
  • If the food is packaged or frozen, place the length of the probe between two packages of the food.

Remember that the temperature at the centre of food may be different from the surface temperature. For example, when cooked food is being cooled in the refrigerator, the centre of the food will take the longest to cool. Therefore, when checking the temperature of this food, make sure that you check the centre.

How to check the accuracy of your thermometer

Thermometers have to be accurate to ensure that temperatures are correctly measured. Ask the company that supplied your thermometer how often the thermometer should be checked for accuracy. It is best to have your thermometer regularly checked and maintained by the supplier of the thermometer. However, if you would like to check the accuracy of your thermometer yourself, use the following method.

  • Place some ice into a container with a small amount of cold water. The ice should not float if the correct amount of water is used.
  • Mix into a slurry and insert the thermometer probe.
  • Leave it for about three minutes.
  • Check and note the temperature. It should read 0°C.
  • Do this three times and compare the temperatures recorded.
  • If they vary by more than 1°C, get your thermometer checked by the supplier.

More information

Contact FSANZ

How do you keep food in proper temperature?

Most fresh foods must be stored in the refrigerator to delay their deterioration and decomposition. The most basic rule must be always followed: store raw products below, never above, your cooked or ready-to-eat products. Keep foods 4°C (39°F) or colder, the safe temperature for refrigerated storage.

What storage practices helps make sure food is kept at the correct temperature?

Cover foods well with air-tight wraps or put them in air-tight containers before placing them in the refrigerator. This maintains the quality of the foods by keeping them from drying out or absorbing odors from other foods. Use a refrigerator thermometer to be sure your refrigerator keeps food at 40 °F or below.

How will you prepare and store foods at safe temperatures?

Food safety and storage.
Keep high-risk food at 5 °C or below or above 60 °C to avoid the temperature danger zone and food poisoning..
Store raw foods below cooked foods..
Store food in suitable, covered containers..
Avoid refreezing thawed foods..
Check and observe the use-by dates on food products..

What do you need to ensure when storing food items?

Reduce your risk.
keep storage areas clean, dry and free of pests..
use food-safe containers, covers and packaging to protect food..
store potentially hazardous food at 5°C or colder – check it with a thermometer..