Hot Holding Temperatures

Many food businesses will store food hot after cooking to increase the speed of service. Methods used vary, from using purpose-built equipment like a bain-marie or soup kettle, or simply an oven at a reduced temperature. Whatever way you keep food hot, it is important to ensure it is stored outside of the danger zone. The danger zone is the temperature range (8oC - 63oC) at which pathogens can more easily multiply to unsafe levels. Food hot-held should be kept above 63oC.

If you are hot-holding food, your food safety management system should document how you do this safely. As well as showing you keep food hot, you will need to show what you do if food drops below 63oC. You have several options here:

• You can ensure it is served within 2 hours or discarded;
• You can reheat to cooking temperature (e.g. 75oC for 30 seconds) and either continue to hot hold or serve.

Note, you can only reheat once, so if the food drops below 63oC again, you should serve within 2 hours or discard.

If hot-held food falling below 63oC is happening regularly, an EHO may expect to see further actions. These may be recorded on your wastage form or maintenance record, for example.

The amount of hot-holding often depends on the business type, and consequently so will how you record your checks. Hot-holding checks can be recorded on the same form as food cooking temperatures, or if you hot-hold alot, you may want a separate record. Our Food Hygiene Diary for Takeaways & Fast Food has extra space for recording hot-hold temperatures.