FDA Food Code · HACCP
You may not need a HACCP plan. You do need the logs.
A straight answer for restaurant and food truck owners: when the Food Code requires a written HACCP plan, and the four temperature and sanitizer logs inspectors look at either way.
Get the 4-log kitAt a glance
- Cold holding
- 41°F (5°C) or below
- Hot holding
- 135°F (57°C) or above
- Cooling
- 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then to 41°F within 4 more hours (6 hours total)
- HACCP plan needed when
- You do a specialized process such as sous vide or other reduced oxygen packaging, curing, smoking to preserve, or acidified sushi rice
- Free plan — no credit card needed
- Anyone can fill a checklist by scanning a QR code — no app, no login
- No per-respondent fees
- English and Spanish, fully supported
What the rule says
FDA Food Code: HACCP plans (3-502.11, 8-201.13) and time/temperature control (3-501)
Under the FDA Food Code, a retail food establishment needs a variance and a HACCP plan for specialized processes, such as reduced oxygen packaging (including sous vide), curing, smoking to preserve food, or acidifying rice for sushi. Everyone else is still inspected against the Food Code's time and temperature limits. The Food Code is a model code; your state or local health department decides which edition applies to you.
Sources: FDA Food Code · FDA: 2026 Food Code release · Peoria City/County Health Dept.: HACCP, when is it required?
What an inspector will ask to see
- Show me your cold-holding temperatures for this week.
- How do you cool large batches, and how do you know they made it in time?
- What is your sanitizer concentration right now, and who checked it?
- If you vacuum-pack or sous vide, where is your variance and HACCP plan?
How to do it with checklists
-
Log cold holding every shift
A QR code on each cooler opens its log. Readings above 41°F are flagged and ask what was done.
Template: Cold-Holding Temperature Log
-
Log hot holding at the line
Same pattern on the steam table: readings under 135°F ask for a corrective action.
Template: Hot-Holding Temperature Log
-
Track cooling batch by batch
Record the start temperature and time, then readings at 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours, so a missed window is obvious.
Template: Cooling Log
-
Check sanitizer concentration
Test strip result and water temperature per shift, with a photo of the strip if it's out of range.
Template: Sanitizer Concentration & Temperature Log
What your record looks like on inspection day
Example: Walk-in cooler 1, Tuesday
- OKWalk-in cooler 1 air temperature38°F
- IssuePrep cooler, line side45°F. Door left open, product moved to walk-in.
- FixedPrep cooler, line side40°F at 11:45 am recheck
Common questions
Is a HACCP plan required for my restaurant?
Under the FDA Food Code, only if you do a specialized process that needs a variance, such as reduced oxygen packaging or curing. Your health department has the final word, and some states have their own rules. Ask them if you are unsure.
Are these logs a HACCP plan?
No. A HACCP plan is a written document your regulator reviews. These logs record the temperatures and checks that any kitchen is inspected against, and they are also the kind of monitoring records a HACCP plan relies on.
Which Food Code edition applies to me?
The FDA publishes a model code; states and localities adopt an edition, sometimes with changes. Check with your local health department.
Can my kitchen staff fill these in Spanish?
Yes. Every log comes in English and Spanish, and the app's screens work in both languages.
Get the 4-log kit
Cold holding, hot holding, cooling and sanitizer logs, as printable PDFs and QR links, in English and Spanish.
Included templates
- Cold-Holding Temperature Log
- Hot-Holding Temperature Log
- Cooling Log
- Sanitizer Concentration & Temperature Log
Your logs are on their way
Check your inbox for the four logs. Open one QR link on your phone and log a test reading.
Questions? Talk to a person.
Tell us what you inspect and how often. We'll tell you honestly whether this fits.
Thanks — we got it.
We'll get back to you soon.