Ireland: food temperature rules

“Law” is a binding rule. “Official guidance” is not law, but inspectors expect it. “Chef Hygiene default” is a value the app checks against where no rule gives a number.

• Official guidanceIrish law sets no numeric temperature limits. The numbers below come from FSAI guidance. The legal duty is not to break the cold chain (Regulation 852/2004, Annex II).
• Official guidanceChilled food: 0–5°C. The FSAI says to set fridges to 3–4°C.
• Official guidanceFrozen food: −18°C or colder. Ice cream in service areas: −12°C.
• Official guidanceCooking: 75°C at the core at once, or an equal time and temperature such as 70°C for 2 minutes.
• Official guidanceReheating: only once, to 70°C or more at the core.
• Official guidanceHot holding: above 63°C. Food not kept above 63°C must be used within 2 hours of cooking.
• Official guidanceCooling: put cooked food in the fridge within 2 hours. If it is above 10°C at 2½ hours, serve it at once or throw it away (FSAI Safe Catering).
• Official guidanceDeliveries: chilled food arrives below 5°C and frozen food at −18°C. Food you deliver to customers: chilled below 5°C, hot above 63°C.
• Official guidanceSafe Catering limits: prepared chilled food for at most 2 days, counting the day it is made as Day 0, and frozen food for at most 6 months. Probe thermometers should be accurate to ±0.5°C.