Cooking, Cooling & Reheating Records
Document the cook-chill cycle — from cooking through cooling and reheating — for foods stored for later use.
What this record is for
This record documents the cook-chill cycle — that is, foods that are cooked and then cooled for storage, rather than served immediately. Documenting the cook-chill cycle is a standard requirement of your food safety management system.
The "danger zone" (8°C to 63°C) is where bacteria multiply rapidly. These records prove you've controlled this risk throughout the cooking, cooling, and reheating stages.
Who needs to use it?
Any food business that cooks food and stores it for later use. This is common in batch cooking operations, catering, healthcare, and any kitchen that prepares food in advance.
The Cook-Chill Cycle
1. Cooking
Food must reach 75°C at the core
(or 70°C for 2 minutes)
2. Cooling
From 63°C to below 8°C within 90 minutes
This is the critical safety rule
3. Storage
Keep at 0-5°C (chilled) or -18°C (frozen)
Until ready to serve
4. Reheating
Must reach 70°C+ before serving
(82°C in Scotland)
What foods need these records?
- Batch-cooked soups, stews, and sauces
- Bolognese, curry, chilli con carne
- Cooked rice (high bacteria risk)
- Lasagne and prepared dishes
- Cooked meats for sandwiches
- Stock and gravy
- Foods served immediately after cooking
- Made-to-order dishes (steaks, fried eggs)
- À la carte items cooked fresh
Why is the 90-minute rule so important?
When food is in the danger zone (8°C to 63°C), bacteria can double every 20 minutes. The 90-minute cooling rule limits the time food spends in this zone, keeping bacterial growth to safe levels.
If food takes longer than 90 minutes to cool, you must either dispose of it or document why it's still safe (e.g., using blast chilling equipment).
Food must cool from 63°C to below 8°C within 90 minutes. This is a food safety critical control point.
SmartChef tracks timing automatically
Start a cooling record and SmartChef timestamps everything. You'll see exactly how long the cooling took, with alerts if you're approaching the 90-minute limit.
Temperature Standards
Try SmartChef
See how easy cook-chill recording can be with timestamps and alerts.
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