"Keep it under 5" is the message every food handler in Ireland hears on day one. But the regulation behind that number is more nuanced than it first looks, and the way HACCP monitors and records it is the difference between a clean inspection and a non-compliance. This article unpacks the rule.
The legal framework
EC Regulation 852/2004 Annex II Chapter IX requires that food likely to support pathogenic micro-organisms be kept at a temperature that does not result in a risk to health. S.I. No. 369/2006 transposes the requirement into Irish law. FSAI Guidance Note 14 sets the practical figure: 5°C or below for high-risk chilled foods.
Specific limits used across Ireland
| Product | Maximum temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-eat chilled food | 5°C | Listeria control critical |
| Raw poultry, raw meat | 5°C | Below other chilled product to prevent drip |
| Raw fish | 0-2°C on ice | Histamine control |
| Bivalve molluscs | 5°C with registration document | Live shellfish; do not freeze |
| Frozen food | -18°C | Or colder |
| Chilled display | 5°C | Limited 4-hour open-display rule |
HACCP monitoring frequency
- Twice-daily fridge log - opening and afternoon.
- Weekly probe verification of fridge thermometers.
- Continuous logging probes for high-volume operations.
- Pre-service spot probe of one item per fridge.
Tolerance bands
A fridge that briefly drifts to 5.5°C during a busy door-opening period is not automatically a non-compliance, but it must return to below 5°C and the spike should not be sustained. EHOs look for patterns - a fridge that consistently runs at 7-8°C is a clear failure.
What to do when a fridge fails
- Move stock to the backup fridge or freezer.
- Probe each ready-to-eat item - assess time at temperature.
- Discard any high-risk product that has been above 8°C for more than 4 hours.
- Call the technician within 1 hour.
- Log the incident, action and outcome.
Calibration tolerance
Probes and fridge displays should agree to within +/- 1°C. If they do not, recalibrate the probe (ice slurry / boiling water) or replace it. Log the result weekly.
The four-hour open-display rule
Chilled food on open display (sandwiches, salads, sushi) may be removed from refrigeration for service, but only for a single 4-hour period. After 4 hours it must be discarded; it cannot be returned to refrigeration. Track with a colour-coded ticket showing the time the item left the fridge.
Train the rule
Every food handler should know "5 and 63" by heart - 5°C cold storage, 63°C hot hold. The numbers are core content of every HACCP training programme. Once they are reflex, the temperature decisions in the kitchen become routine and the records line up automatically.
