Gastronomy · Guide

Temperature control in communal catering: the cold chain from kitchen to serving point.

By Frigo · Updated: October 2026

In daycare centres, schools, care homes and hospitals, people eat for whom a foodborne infection can be especially serious. On top of that, food is often not eaten where it is cooked. This guide shows which temperatures regulations, guidelines and recommendations name for hot holding, chilling, cook-chill, transport to satellite kitchens and refrigerated storage, what applies to retained samples and who is responsible. Pick your country and you see only what applies to you.

In short

Vulnerable groups: young children, older and sick people and pregnant women are especially susceptible to foodborne infections. According to the BfR, catering for them differs in, among other things, how often and how intensively monitoring is done, including temperature checks.
Hot holding: the sources name at least 60 °C or at least 65 °C and a hot-holding time of no more than three hours.
Chilling: cool cooked food that is not eaten straight away quickly and actively. The sources name 90 or 120 minutes, depending on the source and the process.
Transport: the temperature requirements also apply on the way to the satellite kitchen. Clear agreements between the kitchen and the serving point are part of this.
Austria: the hygiene guideline for large-scale kitchens and healthcare kitchens names at least 65 °C for hot holding and, for cook-chill food, up to 3 °C, never above 7 °C during transport.
Germany: the BfR and the DGE quality standards name at least 60 °C throughout the food. The DGE refers to DIN 10508, which recommends a safety margin of 65 °C in practice. Cold food at no more than 7 °C.
Switzerland: the HyV requires keeping food chilled and hot to be ensured at all times and checked as part of self-monitoring. The figures are in the GVG: at least 65 °C hot, no more than 5 °C for perishable food.
Frigo: monitors fridges, cold rooms and freezers. Frigo does not measure hot holding or the core temperature of food.

Who this guide is for

Daycare centres, nurseries and after-school clubs with their own kitchen or delivered meals
Schools and school canteens
Residential and nursing care homes
Hospital and clinic kitchens
Staff canteens and central kitchens that supply satellite kitchens at other sites
Heads of catering, housekeeping and operators responsible for meals

What belongs in a temperature log, who signs it and how to record corrective actions is covered in the guide to the temperature log for restaurants. This guide is about what communal catering adds.

Regulation, guideline, recommendation

Not every figure in this guide carries the same weight. The sources fall into three levels:

Level	What it is	Sources here
Regulation	legally binding	Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 (AT, DE), FDHA Hygiene Ordinance (CH)
Guideline	sector aid for implementing the hygiene rules	Hygiene guideline for large-scale kitchens (AT), GVG, approved by the FSVO (CH)
Recommendation	expert recommendation without legal force of its own	BfR leaflet, DGE quality standards (DE)

In Austria and Germany, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 applies directly. Art. 5 requires permanent procedures based on HACCP principles. Annex II, Chapter IX states that foods likely to support the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms are not to be kept at temperatures that might result in a risk to health, and that the cold chain is not to be interrupted. Limited periods outside temperature control are permitted where practicalities of preparation, transport, storage, display and service require it, provided this does not result in a risk to health. Food that is to be held or served chilled must be cooled as quickly as possible after heat processing. The regulation gives no figures for hot holding or chilling. Businesses may use guides as an aid to meeting their obligations (Art. 4(6)).

In Switzerland, under Art. 3 HyV the responsible person must in particular ensure that temperature rules are met and that the cold chain is not interrupted. Art. 27 HyV requires food that is to be kept or served chilled to be cooled as quickly as possible after heating, and food kept hot to be held at temperatures that prevent the growth of harmful micro-organisms. Keeping food chilled and hot must be ensured at all times with suitable measuring instruments and equipment and checked as part of self-monitoring.

Why vulnerable groups need stricter procedures

The BfR counts as especially vulnerable young children up to five years, older people, particularly those with weakened defences, pregnant women and people whose immune defences are weakened by illness or medication. The abbreviation YOPI is often used: young, old, pregnant, immunosuppressed. According to the BfR, errors in temperature management can help pathogens survive and multiply in food.

Austria: the guideline for large-scale kitchens declares it unacceptable to serve dishes made from raw minced fish or meat without subsequent heating, or half-cooked meat dishes, to risk groups.
Germany: as differences from university and staff canteens, the BfR names, among other things, dishes that should not be served, requirements for suppliers, and the frequency and intensity of monitoring and training.
Switzerland: where mainly vulnerable groups are catered for, such as children and infants, older people, pregnant women or people with weakened defences, the GVG requires written documentation on handling foods with particular risks in all business categories.

Hot holding: temperature and time

In communal catering, hot food is often ready long before it is eaten. The sources therefore limit both the temperature and the time.

Source	Temperature	Time
Guideline for large-scale kitchens (guideline, AT)	at least 65 °C, also when transporting hot food, until serving	should not exceed 3 hours
BfR leaflet (recommendation, DE)	at least 60 °C throughout the food	for quality reasons no more than 3 hours including transport time
DGE quality standards daycare, schools, older people (recommendation, DE)	at least 60 °C throughout; according to the DGE, DIN 10508 recommends a safety margin of 65 °C, for storage, transport and serving	no more than 3 hours from the end of cooking until serving the last person
HyV Art. 27 (ordinance, CH)	temperatures that prevent the growth of harmful micro-organisms	not specified
GVG (guideline, CH)	at least 65 °C core temperature, spot-checked and documented	no more than 3 hours

If a hot-holding time of three hours is not feasible, the DGE says that, according to DIN 10536, the food must be cooled immediately after preparation and regenerated in batches before serving. We have not reviewed the DIN standards ourselves; the figures come from the DGE quality standards.

You check hot-holding temperatures as core temperatures with a probe thermometer. The BfR recommends regular temperature checks when food is served, and the GVG requires defined actions for deviations.

Chilling and cook-chill

In cook-chill, food is cooked, chilled quickly, stored and transported chilled, and only reheated shortly before serving. The BfR explains the urgency: heat-resistant bacterial spores survive cooking, and cooling hot food slowly gives them time to germinate.

Source	Chilling	Afterwards
Guideline for large-scale kitchens (AT)	cook-chill: from 65 °C to 10 °C core temperature within 90 minutes, e.g. with a blast chiller, in small portions or a shallow layer	store and transport at up to 3 °C, never above 7 °C during transport; reheat to at least 72 °C core temperature before serving, then hold at least 65 °C
Guideline for large-scale kitchens (AT), food served cold	chill hot-prepared food such as puddings in the same way	core temperature should not exceed 7 °C when served, stored and transported
BfR leaflet (DE)	food prepared hot and served cold: from 60 °C to 7 °C or below within no more than 120 minutes; cook-chill according to the table in the annex: from 60 °C core temperature to below 4 °C within 90 minutes	at no more than 7 °C until serving; cook-chill food reheated to 72 °C core temperature for at least two minutes
HyV Art. 27 (CH)	as quickly as possible to a temperature that poses no health risk	no figure
GVG (CH)	chill actively, do not leave at room temperature: from 65 °C to below 5 °C within 90 minutes	recommended maximum storage time for pre-cooked products: day of production plus 2 days

Once food is chilled, the refrigeration takes over: the fridge or cold room has to hold the low storage temperature until serving, every day of the week. General storage temperatures for fridges are covered in the guide How cold should your fridge be?.

Transport to the satellite kitchen

Many daycare centres, schools and care homes receive their meals from a central kitchen or a caterer. The BfR recommends that self-monitoring critically examines temperature control from production to consumption and that a suitable transport system is chosen, for example one with active hot holding. According to the BfR, clear rules and agreements are needed between the producing and the serving site.

Austria: food transported hot at least 65 °C. Cook-chill food up to 3 °C, never above 7 °C during transport. Food served cold at no more than 7 °C core temperature.
Germany: hot holding at least 60 °C, no more than three hours including transport time (BfR). According to the DGE, DIN 10508 recommends a safety margin of 65 °C, including for transport. Cold food: storage, transport and serving temperature no more than 7 °C.
Switzerland: for transport outside the premises, the GVG names more than 65 °C for hot food and less than 5 °C for perishable food. Transport time is kept as short as possible, and temperatures are checked and documented on arrival where necessary.
Canton of Fribourg: for nurseries and out-of-school care that have meals delivered and only regenerate and plate them, the cantonal inspectorate provides a document with minimum requirements: hazard analysis, work instructions and check sheets, adapted to the facility and kept available on site. Facilities that cook themselves base their self-monitoring on the GVG.

How to protect the cold chain on the road is covered in the guide to monitoring the cold chain in transport.

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Chilled storage in central and satellite kitchens

Raw ingredients, semi-finished products, cook-chill dishes and retained samples often sit for days in fridges, cold rooms and freezers. For these, the sources name:

Source	What applies
Guideline for large-scale kitchens (AT)	chilled above 0 °C to 4 °C, tolerance up to 6 °C; frozen −18 °C or colder, tolerance up to −15 °C. Daily checks of fridges, freezers and food temperatures with records, target ranges for each unit, recording thermometers. Ready-to-eat food preferably in a separate fridge or cold room.
BfR leaflet (DE)	where the manufacturer gives no information: −18 °C or lower for frozen food, no more than +2 °C for raw meat and poultry, no more than +7 °C for dairy products and other foods requiring refrigeration. Temperature monitoring of fridges and freezers.
DGE older people (DE)	frozen food delivered at −18 °C or colder; according to DIN 10508 a short-term rise to a maximum of −15 °C is permitted.
HyV Art. 25 (CH)	frozen food at −18 °C or colder, cold chain not interrupted; during short-term increases no more than −15 °C in the outer layers.
GVG (CH)	perishable food no more than 5 °C, frozen food −18 °C or colder. Recommendation: do not interrupt the cold chain for longer than 30 minutes. With mixed contents, the cold room is set for the product with the lowest storage temperature.

The BfR gives temperature monitoring outstanding importance in facilities for vulnerable groups. It names suitable measuring instruments, for example data loggers for cold rooms, chilling and transport processes, and their regular calibration as prerequisites. Careful documentation of all monitoring and clear procedures for deviations belong with this.

Retained samples

Retained samples are samples of the food served that are kept for a time so that they can be tested afterwards if someone falls ill. The sources we reviewed name no general obligation.

Austria: the guideline for large-scale kitchens describes retained samples as a voluntary tool for the kitchen's own protection. Minimum requirements: at least one portion (at least 150 g), frozen storage, labelled with the date, recommended retention period at least 21 days from serving.
Germany: according to the DGE quality standard for daycare, there is no general legal obligation. Whether samples are taken is usually decided by the responsible person. It can be useful for perishable dishes with poultry, egg or fish. The DGE names DIN 10526 for guidance.
Switzerland: for large businesses (category A), the GVG provides for a concept for handling retained samples, such as which dishes and what quantity.

If retained samples are stored frozen, that freezer is one of the units whose temperature you monitor.

Who is responsible

The facility: according to the BfR, those responsible for facilities such as clinics and care homes are food business operators in the legal sense. Whoever runs a kitchen, and every responsible person in whose area food is served, must ensure that the food is safe for the people being fed.
The interface: recommendation: when a central kitchen or a caterer supplies the food, set out in writing who measures where, which temperatures apply at handover and who decides about the food if there is a deviation. The BfR expressly names this interface management.
The responsible person: under Art. 73 LGV, every business needs a responsible person. Where responsibility is split across several units, such as the kitchen, housekeeping or an outlying site, the GVG expects an organisation chart and a written allocation of responsibilities.
Staff: according to the BfR, staff must know the hazards and control points in production, storage, transport and serving, and be trained regularly.

Care homes often also have medicine fridges. More on this under Pharmacy & healthcare.

Austria: the guideline for large-scale kitchens

The hygiene guideline for large-scale kitchens, healthcare kitchens and comparable communal catering facilities (GZ 2025-0.879.838 of 4 Dec 2025) is based on Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. It defines communal catering as regularly feeding a largely constant group of people under a longer-term arrangement. Smaller businesses can apply the guideline to the processes relevant to them, for example as a distribution, finishing or regeneration kitchen. Documentation can be flexible, for example hard copy or an IT system.

As a model for practice, the guideline is adapted by each business to its own circumstances. If in doubt, ask the food inspectorate what is expected for your facility.

Germany: BfR and DGE

The legal basis is Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. Specific temperatures for communal catering are found mainly in two recommendations: the BfR leaflet “Sicher verpflegt” (2024), addressed to hospitals, care facilities for older people, daycare centres and other facilities for vulnerable groups, and the DGE quality standards for daycare centres, schools and facilities for older people (reprints 2023). The DGE bases its figures on DIN standards such as DIN 10508 (temperatures), DIN 10536 (cook-chill) and DIN 10526 (retained samples). We have not reviewed the standards themselves.

The food inspectorate of your district or city may have its own expectations in detail. If in doubt, ask there.

Switzerland: HyV, GVG and cantons

The FDHA Hygiene Ordinance (HyV) sets out the duties but gives no figures for hot holding or chilling. These are in the guideline on good practice in the hospitality industry (GVG, 2nd edition 2019, approved by the FSVO), published among others by the Swiss association for hospital, care home and communal catering. As examples it names cantonal hospitals, rehabilitation and spa clinics in category A, and care homes for older people and school canteens in category B.

Cantons may have additional leaflets, such as the Canton of Fribourg for nurseries and out-of-school care. If in doubt, ask the cantonal food inspectorate.

Where communal catering often slips

Readings only when someone is there. Daycare centres and schools are empty in the evening, at weekends and during the holidays, while the fridges keep running.
The interface. The central kitchen measures at departure, the satellite kitchen does not measure on arrival.
Hot-holding time. The end of cooking is not noted, and three hours pass unnoticed.
The freezer in the basement. The unit with the retained samples stands out of the way and is rarely checked.

What a sensor adds

Frigo is designed for fridges, cold rooms and freezers, in the central kitchen as well as in the satellite kitchen. The wireless sensors stick on, with no drilling and no cables. They measure air temperature and relative humidity at the sensor's location. For each sensor you set an upper and a lower limit. When a value leaves this range, Frigo alerts all the people you name by app and email, with SMS available as an add-on. Every deviation is recorded with its start, end and duration in a continuous, time-stamped record. For each alert you can add a comment and acknowledge the alert. The PDF report contains the limits and the deviations.

At each site, one connectivity unit plugs into a socket. It uses its own mobile connection, so no Wi-Fi is needed. A satellite kitchen at another address is a site of its own. If a sensor or the connectivity unit stops sending data, Frigo alerts the named people. The sensors run on their own battery and do not store readings. Frigo replaces a sensor before its battery runs out and informs you beforehand. A door contact can also be used.

Important: Frigo measures the air temperature at the sensor's location, not the core temperature of the food. Frigo does not measure hot-holding temperatures or core temperatures; for those you still need a probe thermometer. Frigo does not cool: monitoring is not cooling. Frigo replaces neither your HACCP plan nor self-monitoring, the responsible person or an official inspection. Whether a digital record in this form is sufficient for your facility is decided by the competent authority.

If power fails, the connectivity unit keeps running on its built-in battery for about four hours. During that time Frigo keeps measuring and alerts you when a value leaves your limit, as long as the mobile network is available. Once the battery is empty, Frigo reports that the connectivity unit has stopped sending data. The sensors do not store readings, so there is no data for that period. New readings arrive once the connectivity unit has power again.

What to do with frozen food during a power cut is covered in the guide on chest freezer power outages. How the system is built is explained under How does Frigo work?.

Four things to set for each site

which cold units there are, including in the satellite kitchen and for retained samples, and which target range applies to each
who measures what: core temperatures during hot holding and chilling, unit temperatures, temperatures at handover
who is alerted to a deviation, including in the evening, at weekends and during the holidays
who decides about the food and how the action is recorded

Frequently asked questions

What hot-holding temperature applies in communal catering?

The sources we reviewed name two values. The Austrian guideline for large-scale kitchens and the Swiss GVG name at least 65 °C. The BfR and the DGE quality standards in Germany name at least 60 °C throughout the food; according to the DGE, DIN 10508 recommends a safety margin of 65 °C. The guidelines and recommendations limit the hot-holding time to no more than three hours; the Swiss HyV gives no figure.

How quickly must cooked food be chilled?

As quickly as possible, say the EU hygiene regulation and the Swiss HyV. The Austrian guideline names 65 °C to 10 °C core temperature in 90 minutes for cook-chill, the GVG 65 °C to below 5 °C in 90 minutes. For food served cold, the BfR names 60 °C to 7 °C or below in no more than 120 minutes.

Which temperatures apply when transporting food to a satellite kitchen?

Hot food stays hot: at least 65 °C under the Austrian guideline, more than 65 °C under the GVG, at least 60 °C under the BfR. Under the Austrian guideline, cook-chill food is transported at up to 3 °C and never above 7 °C. For perishable food the GVG names less than 5 °C, and the DGE names no more than 7 °C for cold food.

Do we have to keep retained samples?

The sources we reviewed name no general obligation. The Austrian guideline calls them voluntary and recommends at least 150 g, frozen and labelled, for at least 21 days. According to the DGE, in Germany the responsible person usually decides. The GVG provides for a concept for handling retained samples in large businesses.

Who is responsible when meals are delivered?

According to the BfR, every responsible person in whose area food is served must ensure that it is safe, which includes the daycare centre, school or care home. Clear rules and agreements are needed between the kitchen and the serving point. In Switzerland, responsibility lies with the responsible person under the LGV and the HyV.

Does Frigo also measure hot-holding temperatures?

No. Frigo measures the air temperature at the sensor's location in fridges, cold rooms and freezers. You check hot-holding temperatures and core temperatures of food with a probe thermometer.

What happens during a power cut in the kitchen?

The connectivity unit keeps running on its built-in battery for about four hours and alerts you to deviations, as long as the mobile network is available. After that, Frigo reports that the connectivity unit has stopped sending data. The sensors do not store readings, so there is no data for that period. Frigo does not cool; you decide about the food.

Sources

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This article is guidance, not legal advice. Guidelines, leaflets and quality standards are aids to orientation; the applicable regulations and the decisions of the competent authority are decisive. Frigo measures the air temperature at the sensor's location, not the core temperature of the food, does not cool and replaces neither the HACCP plan nor self-monitoring, the responsible person or an official inspection. Alerts require a working connection. During a power cut the connectivity unit keeps running on its built-in battery for about four hours, after that Frigo reports that the connectivity unit has stopped sending data. Sources as of: October 2026.