Cooling food properly is not just best practice – it’s the law.
And getting it wrong? That can lead to serious food safety risks, costly fines, or worse, someone falling ill.
Under UK food hygiene regulations, cooked food must be cooled quickly and safely to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying.
But how long should you actually leave food to cool before sticking it in the fridge?
Short answer: No longer than 2 hours.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what that means in practice, including:
- The legal and recommended cooling times for hot food
- Why cooling food quickly really matters
- Best practice techniques for rapid cooling
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Where cooling fits into your HACCP and food safety plan
Let’s start with the core principle behind all of this.
Why Cooling Food Quickly is Crucial
If you handle food – whether at home or professionally – you’ve likely heard of the danger zone.
But do you really know why it’s dangerous?
Bacterial Growth in the Danger Zone
The “danger zone” is the temperature range between 8°C and 63°C where bacteria like Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, and Bacillus cereus multiply at lightning speed.
Here’s why that matters:
- These bacteria can double in number every 10-20 minutes in warm conditions.
- Some – like Bacillus cereus (found in rice) – produce spores that can survive cooking and become toxic if food is cooled too slowly.
That’s why food must pass through this danger zone as quickly as possible.
Once hot food drops below 63°C, you’ve got limited time to bring it down to a safe temperature – usually below 8°C – to prevent bacteria from taking hold.
And that brings us to the law…
Responsibilities for Businesses
If you’re operating a food business, safe cooling isn’t optional – it’s a legal requirement.
Here’s the guidance on cooling::
- Under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, businesses must ensure food is cooled and stored safely.
- You’re also required to follow a HACCP-based food safety management system, and that includes having a clear process for cooling food.
- The Food Standards Agency (FSA) offers clear guidance: food should be cooled as quickly as possible and placed in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. (See the FSA’s chilling guidance for details: https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/how-to-chill-freeze-and-defrost-food-safely)
That 2-hour window is the golden standard – and it’s what Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) will expect to see when they inspect your premises.
So, how do you hit that cooling window every time?
Let’s break it down.
How Long Should You Let Food Cool Before Refrigerating?
The 2-Hour Cooling Window
The FSA’s recommended guideline is:
Cool hot food as quickly as possible and place it in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking.
That means:
- If you’ve just cooked something, start the cooling clock the moment cooking ends (or when it drops below 63°C).
- You have no more than 2 hours to get it in the fridge.
Why?
Because lingering in the danger zone is when bacteria thrive.
Key things this applies to:
- Leftovers
- Batch-cooked food
- Cooked ingredients (e.g. rice, pasta, sauces)
So what if you’ve made a massive tray of lasagne or a vat of soup?
The FSA recommends dividing it into portions so it cools more quickly. This way you can stick to the two hour rule, without putting hot food in the fridge.
When is it Safe to Refrigerate Hot Food?
There’s a common belief that hot food should never go in the fridge. It’s kind of true. But its not a hard and fast rule.
While you shouldn’t chuck piping-hot food in the fridge, you can put warm food in there, especially if your fridge is a modern one with rapid cooling.
Putting hot or warm food in the fridge can raise the overall fridge temperature temporarily, making other food too warm for a short period of time, while the fridge must work harder to bring down the internal temperature.
But if there’s no high-risk foods in the fridge, and you put moderately warm food in there, a good modern fridge should be able to handle that relatively quickly with no impact to that other food.
Best practice? Let food cool outside the fridge first and as soon as it reaches room temperature, pop it in the fridge and within 2-hours
So to emphasise: You shouldn’t just forget food out on the side. It must go in the fridge as soon as, or before, it reaches room temperature.
Best Practices for Cooling Food Faster
Here’s how to cool food fast, safely, and in line with UK food hygiene standards.
1. Divide and Conquer
By default, large volumes = slower natural cooling.
One of the fastest ways to speed up the cooling process? Split your food into smaller portions.
Here’s how:
- Use shallow containers
- Divide into small batches
- Spread food out where possible to maximise surface area
The flatter and thinner the layer, the quicker the heat escapes.
Pro tip: Avoid stacking hot containers. It traps heat and slows cooling. Space them out instead.
Pro tip: Don’t put the lids onto the containers until they are ready to go in the fridge. Lids stop heat escaping. The goal is to cool the food, so let the steam escape. Otherwise, you’re just building a mini greenhouse – perfect for bacteria.
2. Stirring and Ventilation
Don’t just leave food to sit cooling – stir it. This applies to things like soups, casseroles, and pots of pasta etc. Stirring is especially important if you want to cool the food in a put before putting it into containers. But, you can also stir portioned foods that are already divided up, to help them cool faster.
Why? Because:
- It releases trapped steam
- It lowers the internal temperature faster
- It ensures even cooling throughout
Avoid using lids while cooling. If you need to use a lid (maybe there’s a fly buzzing around) leave the lid slightly ajar or use loosely covered foil to allow heat to vent.
3. Use of Ice Baths and Cooling Wands
If you’re handling soups, stews, or sauces – use tools.
Ice baths are ideal for large pans or pots. Here’s how to do it right:
- Fill your sink or a larger container with cold water and ice
- Submerge the bottom of your hot pot
- Stir frequently to disperse heat
Alternatively, use cooling wands or paddles (sometimes called “cooling sticks”):
- Fill the paddle with water and freeze it
- Stir it through the hot food to reduce internal temperature quickly
- Clean thoroughly before and after use
These are brilliant in commercial kitchens – especially for sauces or custards that hold heat.
4. Refrigeration Strategies
You’ve cooled the food a bit. It’s ready for the fridge. Now what?
Here’s what to do – and what to avoid:
Do:
- Leave space around containers so air can circulate
- Place in the coldest part of the fridge (usually the bottom shelf)
Don’t:
- Overload the fridge with lots of warm things at the same time – this warms everything up
- Stack warm containers tightly together
- Store deep trays of food without first dividing into portions
Common Cooling Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even seasoned food handlers can slip up when it comes to cooling.
Here are the biggest offenders – and how to avoid them.
1. Leaving Food on Counters Too Long
Big mistake.
It’s easy to assume that leaving food out on the counter will eventually make it safe to chill.
But here’s the problem: The longer it sits at room temperature, the longer it spends in the danger zone.
What to do instead?
- Start cooling food immediately after cooking
- Set a timer to keep track of cooling times
- Always aim for below 8°C within the 2-hour window
Cooling ≠ letting it sit indefinitely.
2. Storing Hot Food in Deep Containers
Deep trays = slower cooling = risky food.
This one’s a silent killer – especially with foods like:
- Cooked rice
- Lasagne
- Chilli or stew
- Pasta bakes
Why? Because heat gets trapped inside, especially in the middle. Since the middle cools much more slowly, it gives bacteria the perfect time to multiply – especially if the tray goes straight into the fridge.
Fix it: Transfer into shallow containers or portion it into smaller servings.
- Not Labelling and Timing Cooled Food
If you’re running a professional kitchen – or managing a catering team – this one’s non-negotiable.
Why it matters:
- You need to prove that cooling happened within safe timeframes
- You need to track when food was prepped, cooled, and stored
- You need to show due diligence in case of an inspection
What to do:
- Use time and temperature logs
- Label containers with date/time cooked and cooled
- Use thermometers to monitor internal food temperature
This is especially important for high-risk foods and bulk production environments.
And it ties directly into your HACCP…
Cooling Food and Your HACCP Plan
Cooling isn’t just a technical step – it’s a critical control point in your HACCP system.
And if you’re not monitoring it? You’re risking non-compliance.
Cooling as a Critical Control Point (CCP)
Let’s zoom out for a second.
Your HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) plan identifies risks in your food process – and outlines how you’ll control them.
Cooling is a textbook CCP because:
- It’s a high-risk window for bacterial growth
- It has clear measurable limits (e.g. cooling below 8°C within 2 hours)
- It requires monitoring and corrective action if those limits aren’t met
So if your food doesn’t cool fast enough?
You must take action – either by discarding it, re-cooking it (if safe), or reviewing the process to stop it happening again.
No guesswork. No cutting corners.
Evidence for Environmental Health Officers (EHOs)
When the EHO shows up, they won’t just ask “Are you cooling food properly?” They’ll ask:
- “Where’s your log of cooling times and temperatures?”
- “What’s your corrective action process if cooling goes wrong?”
- “Who’s responsible for monitoring this step?”
To stay on the right side of compliance, you need evidence:
- Time-stamped records
- Temperature logs
- Equipment calibration checks (especially thermometers)
- Staff training records
All of this shows due diligence – that you’ve done everything reasonably expected to keep food safe.
What if staff are not yet trained on HACCP?
Here are the course required:
The level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety certificate
If you’re handling food regularly, or are training staff who will handle food, for due diligence you must be able to demonstrate that the food handlers have had sufficient training on food hygiene and safety.
This is required by law in addition to HACCP.
The easiest way to demonstrate the required training in food hygiene and safety is by asking staff to complete an accredited course that issues a certificate after they pass an exam.
Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Course
Perfect for chefs, caterers, food prep staff, and childminders.
Covers cooking, cooling, reheating, storing, and more.
Just £10.99 + VAT.
Takes around 2 hours to complete.
Instant digital certificate.
Accredited Level 2 food hygiene & safety for food handlers
FAQ: Quick Answers to Common Cooling Questions
Can I put hot food straight in the fridge?
Not piping hot – cool for at least 20-30 minutes first to avoid raising the fridge temperature too much. Use blast chillers that can cool food fast if you plan to put warm food in the fridge.
What’s the ideal fridge temperature?
Between 0°C and 5°C, per FSA guidelines.
How do I know if food has cooled safely?
Use a thermometer to check the core is below 8°C within 2 hours.
What if I miss the 2-hour window?
Discard it or assess risks via your HACCP – don’t chance it.
