Food Safety Basics: Cold Holding

JUNE 2024

To ensure food safety, maintain cold foods at a temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit...or less!

• Use cold-holding equipment that can keep foods at 41° Fahrenheit or lower.
• Measure food temperatures in the warmest part of the unit every two hours to ensure the temperature is below 41° Fahrenheit.
• Do not overfill salad bar, make tables, or cold refrigerator units.
• Use stainless steel containers instead of plastic.
• Use temperature logs to ensure temperatures get checked daily.

Keeping cold food at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less limits pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation.

A poster with additional cold holding information that can be posted in your establishment is available from the Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals. See below for temperature logs that can be used in your establishment as well.