Temperature control legislation in the UK: Guidance notes

The majority of the text in the document has not changed from the guidance previously issued by the Department of Health on the 1995 Regulations. The main addition to the guidance is advice on the legislation in Scotland.

On 1 January 2006 the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995 were revoked. Schedule 4 of the Food Hygiene Regulations 2006 implemented by separate but similar legislation in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland remade the majority of the requirements from the 1995 regulations. However, regulation 10 (the general requirement) and 11 (cooling of foods) are now contained within EC Regulation 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter IX, part 5 and 6 respectively.

The guidance is intended to help explain for food businesses and enforcement authorities the food temperature control requirements that will operate in the UK.

The guidance contains advice on the types of foods that are required to be held under temperature control, and gives guidance on the circumstances when some flexibility from the temperature control requirements is allowed.

The guidance is intended to complement best practices in the food industry, which might involve, for example, keeping foods at chill temperatures below the legal maximum and thereby providing additional assurances of food safety.

Contacts for further information

In England:

David Gray
Food Standards Agency
Food Hygiene legislation Branch
125 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6NH

tel: +44 (0)20 7276 8940
email: david.gray@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

In Scotland:

Simon Craig
Safety, Policy and Regulation Development Branch
Food Standards Agency Scotland
6th Floor, St Magnus House
25 Guild Street
Aberdeen
AB11 6NJ

Telephone: 01224 285 151
E-mail: simon.craig@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

In Wales:

Keith Blake
LA Enforcement & Emergency Planning
Food Standards Agency Wales
11th Floor
Southgate House
Wood Street
Cardiff CF10 1EW

tel: 029 2067 8902
email: keith.blake@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

In Northern Ireland:

Susanne Boyd
General Food Hygiene and Incidents Unit
Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland
10c Clarendon Road
Belfast
BT1 3BG

tel: 028 9041 7739
email: susanne.boyd@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk