Corrective actions for temperature deviations

A fridge reads 9 °C, the soup in the bain-marie has dropped to 58 °C, a delivery of chicken breast arrives too warm. Deviations like these happen in every kitchen. What matters is what you do next and whether you can show it in your records. This guide explains what the HACCP principle of corrective actions requires, how to make decisions in practice and what belongs in the log. The examples are guidance, not legal advice. The binding rules are your own HACCP plan and the requirements of your local authority.

What the HACCP principle requires

Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 sets out seven HACCP principles. The fifth requires you to establish corrective actions for when monitoring shows that a critical control point is not under control. Another principle requires documents and records proportionate to the nature and size of the business.

Every corrective action therefore has two parts:

Bring the process back under control, for example by having the fridge repaired or reheating the dish.
Decide what happens to the affected food: keep using it, use it quickly, treat it again or discard it.

A guidance sheet from the German Rhein-Kreis Neuss district puts it simply: record every deviation from the target value, what was done about it and what happened to the food.

Which limits apply?

Your limits are defined in your HACCP plan. Industry guides and authority guidance provide reference values, and here Austria and Germany differ in some important points.

Area	Austria	Germany
Chilled storage in general	Target 4 °C, maximum 6 °C (WKO training script "Hygiene im Gastgewerbe")	Other perishable foods at most +7 °C (Lower Saxony food authority LAVES)
Frozen storage	−18 °C; each business defines its own tolerance range (Austrian retail hygiene guide)	−18 °C; brief fluctuations of no more than 3 °C during transport and in retail freezers (Section 2 TLMV)
Hot holding	Above 70 °C (Austrian retail hygiene guide); the WKO adds a maximum of 3 hours	At least 60 °C at all points (BfR); the City of Cologne recommends 70 °C
Reheating	Core temperature of at least 75 °C for several minutes (Austrian retail hygiene guide)	Authority guidance names corrective steps such as "reheat until boiling" (City of Mainz)
Cooling	Quickly to 0 to 4 °C (tolerance up to 6 °C), ideally within 2 hours (Austrian retail hygiene guide)	Define the value in your HACCP plan

The Austrian hygiene guide for retail businesses makes one point clear: what counts is the product temperature, not the air temperature. For catering, its values are worded as recommendations. In Germany, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) revised its hot-holding recommendation in 2020 from 65 °C to at least 60 °C at every point of the food.

Deciding in three questions

Whether food can still be used depends on three questions: how far off is the value, for how long, and what kind of food is it? Work through these steps in order:

Check the measurement. Is the thermometer working? Measure the product, not only the air in the unit.
Establish the duration. When was the last reading in range? If you do not know, assume the worst case.
Assess the product. Minced meat, poultry, fish and prepared dishes are more sensitive than, say, packaged drinks.
Decide on the food using the rules in your HACCP plan.
Fix the cause, for example close the door, unload the unit, call a technician.
Re-check and record the result.

Practical examples

The examples below show sensible actions. Times and limits must match your own HACCP plan.

Situation	Immediate action	Decision on the food
Fridge reads 8 °C	Check door, seal and loading, measure product temperature, re-measure after 30 minutes. If still too warm, move the food and call a technician.	If the product temperature is within the limit, keep using it. If sensitive food has been too warm for longer or for an unknown time, use it quickly or discard it according to your plan.
Freezer reads −12 °C	Move food to a working unit straight away and call a technician. The reading is well beyond the 3 °C short-term fluctuation allowed in Germany.	Keep food that is still frozen solid. Do not simply refreeze thawed food; cook it through and use it quickly or discard it, as your plan specifies.
Hot holding at 58 °C	Check the unit and reheat the dish to the defined core temperature. 58 °C is below the German reference of 60 °C and the Austrian reference of 70 °C.	If the holding time is known and short, reheat and keep hot. If it is unknown or exceeded, discard.
Delivery too warm	Measure product temperature, inform the supplier, note it on the delivery note.	Reject the goods, or label them as blocked and store them separately, as the Austrian guide describes.
Core temperature too low during cooking	Continue cooking until the target is reached and measure again at the thickest point.	Serve only once the target is reached. Check the thermometer if this happens repeatedly.

One example of a clear rule from an authority is the City of Mainz guidance sheet: if the cold chain was interrupted for more than 30 minutes, the food must be discarded, because chilling it again does not kill germs.

What belongs in the log

A deviation without an action is a problem at inspection. A complete entry includes:

Date and time of the reading
Unit or measuring point, for example "Fridge 2, meat"
Measured value and target value
Action taken
Food affected and the decision made
Name of the person who acted
Time and result of the re-check

The Austrian retail hygiene guide requires deviations and actions to be documented and records to be kept for at least two months beyond the products' shelf life, and for at least one year in any case. Germany has no single retention period, so ask your authority if in doubt.

Prevention and common mistakes

The best corrective action is the one you never need. Do not overload units, keep doors closed, schedule maintenance and check thermometers regularly. If the same deviation keeps recurring, the cause usually runs deeper and should be addressed in your HACCP plan.

Common mistakes include:

Ticking "OK" without recording a value
Measuring the air in the unit instead of the product
Forgetting the re-check, or not writing it down
"Saving" food when duration and temperature are unclear
Logging the same fault for weeks without fixing the cause

Conclusion

Good corrective actions are fast, traceable and fully documented. A digital system such as Kernwert supports this: after scanning the QR sticker, staff see green or red instantly, a corrective action is mandatory for any deviation, and every entry ends up in the inspection folder.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to throw food away after every temperature deviation?

No. What matters is the product temperature, how long the deviation lasted and the type of food. A brief rise in air temperature with the product still in range usually does not require disposal. Set out the rules for these decisions in your HACCP plan.

Is it enough to write down the high reading?

No. Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 requires corrective actions when a critical control point is not under control. Record the action, the decision on the food, the person responsible and the re-check as well.

How long should I keep temperature logs?

The Austrian retail hygiene guide states at least two months beyond the products' shelf life and at least one year. Germany has no single period. Define the retention time in your HACCP plan and agree it with your authority if you are unsure.

Sources

This article is not legal advice and does not replace a business-specific HACCP analysis. The applicable regulations and the requirements of your local authority are decisive.