A temperature recorder logs the air temperature in the load space as you drive, and gives you a printout or download as proof. Whether the law says you need one depends on what you carry. For quick-frozen food there are specific rules. For chilled food there aren’t, but you still have to control and check temperatures.
This is our plain-English summary, checked against legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK in October 2026. It isn’t legal advice, and the rules can change, so check GOV.UK and the Food Standards Agency, or ask your local council’s food team.
Quick-frozen food: the specific rules
Quick-frozen food is food that has been frozen quickly and is labelled as quick-frozen. The rules come from Regulation (EC) No 37/2005, which was kept in UK law after Brexit. In England they’re enforced through the Quick-frozen Foodstuffs (England) Regulations 2007. Northern Ireland has its own version; check the equivalent rules if you’re based in Wales or Scotland.
In short, the law says:
- A recording instrument. Vehicles, warehouses and stores used for quick-frozen food must have suitable recording instruments that monitor the air temperature at frequent and regular intervals.
- To the right standard. Those instruments must meet the European standards EN 12830, EN 13485 and EN 13486. EN 12830 is the one for temperature recorders. You must keep the paperwork showing your recorder conforms.
- Records kept at least a year. Temperature records must be dated and kept for at least one year, or longer depending on the type and shelf life of the food.
- Shown on request. In England, you must show your records to an enforcement officer if asked.
The exception for local distribution
There is one important exception. During local distribution, the air temperature only has to be measured with at least one easily visible thermometer, not a recorder.
In the England regulations, local distribution means the part of the chain where the food is delivered to the point where it’s sold to the public, or to a caterer. So a van making the final deliveries to shops, restaurants or caterers can rely on a visible thermometer, while a van moving frozen food between a factory and a cold store is likely to need a recorder.
Where your work sits isn’t always obvious. If you’re not sure, ask your local council’s food team before you decide against a recorder.
Frozen food temperatures
Quick-frozen food must be kept at -18°C or colder. During transport, including local distribution, it may rise for brief periods, but no warmer than -15°C. That’s why our freezer vans are built to hold -18°C or below. Read chiller, freezer or deep freeze?
Chilled food: no specific recorder rule
We haven’t found any law that says a van carrying chilled food must have a temperature recorder. We’d rather say that plainly than overstate it. But that doesn’t mean temperature can be ignored:
- Temperature limit. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, chilled food must by law be kept at 8°C or below. The Food Standards Agency recommends 5°C or below to allow for the temperature going up and down. In Scotland, 8°C is recommended rather than a legal limit.
- Vehicles. The food hygiene rules say that, where necessary, vehicles carrying food must be able to keep it at the right temperature and allow that temperature to be monitored.
- HACCP. Every food business must have a food safety management system based on HACCP principles. That means finding the points where things could go wrong, such as temperature, monitoring them, and keeping records of your checks.
How you monitor is up to you and your food safety plan. A thermometer in the cab and written checks may be enough for a small round. Your customers may ask for more, such as printed proof that their goods stayed cold.
Why fit one anyway
- It’s evidence if a customer or an inspector questions a delivery.
- It shows up a fridge problem before it costs you a load.
- It saves writing temperatures down by hand.
- Some customers ask for it.
More on keeping food safe on the road in transporting food in your refrigerated van.
We can fit one
We can fit a load temperature recorder as part of your conversion. It prints a receipt as evidence that the goods were held at the right temperature in transit. If you carry quick-frozen food outside local distribution, tell us and we’ll make sure the recorder is right for the job. See our accessories.
Not sure what you need? Call us on 01444 245555 or send us an enquiry and tell us what you carry and who to.
