Daily self-checks for temperatures, hygiene, storage and allergens, with a simple log.
Daily self-checks catch problems before an inspector or a customer does. They also build habits: logged temperatures, labeled food and clean hand-wash stations.
Temperature limits and other requirements are set by your health authority and food code. Fill in the limits that apply to you.
15 items. Keep it on a tablet, or print a copy for the clipboard.
At 10 am the walk-in reads above the limit. The shift lead moves high-risk food to another fridge, calls maintenance, records the reading and action, and checks again at 11 am when it is back in range.
The FDA Food Code sets cold holding at 41 F or below, hot holding at 135 F or above and time limits for cooling, and state and local health departments enforce their adopted versions. A log with corrective actions shows an inspector that problems were caught and handled, which is the idea behind active managerial control.
| Walk-in | 38 F at 9 am, 39 F at 3 pm; Magnolia Kitchen, Savannah |
|---|---|
| Freezer | 0 F at 9 am |
| Hot holding | Chicken and rice 148 F at noon |
| Cooling | Red beans 135 F at 2:00 pm, 68 F at 3:45 pm, 40 F at 7:30 pm |
| Health | Tyrone sent home 7 am with vomiting, return after 24 hours symptom-free |
| Storage | Raw shrimp moved below cut fruit, relabeled |
| Sign-off | Claire, manager |
The cooling line has three readings because the beans had to pass two checkpoints: 135 F to 70 F within two hours, done in 1 hour 45 minutes, and down to 41 F within six hours total, done in 5 hours 30 minutes. The shrimp move is a corrective action, so it is written down rather than just done.
Those set by your local food code.
A trained manager or shift lead.
As your health authority requires.
No.
Under recent editions of the FDA Food Code, at least one employee with supervisory authority must be a certified food protection manager, and many states have adopted that rule. Check your state or county version, since some have older rules or exemptions for low-risk operations.
The FDA Food Code calls for excluding food employees who have vomiting or diarrhea, or who are diagnosed with certain illnesses such as norovirus, hepatitis A or Shigella. They generally stay out until symptom-free for 24 hours or cleared under the code. Write the exclusion and return date on the checklist.
More for the same job
Once the restaurant food safety checklist is in place, the next question is usually about shifts and hours. Book a demo to see how EZTime handles scheduling and time tracking.