The Food Temperature Log is a Boulder County Licensing worksheet for recording food temperatures against the Colorado food safety limits printed on the page. Kitchen staff use it to note the date, food item, time, temperature, corrective action and the employee who took the reading, and managers sign off on it in the "Reviewed by" line. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original PDF is published by Boulder County at the official link below, and the log also carries cooling and cold-holding checklists.
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What is Food Temperature Log – Boulder County, CO?
The Food Temperature Log, published by Boulder County Licensing, is a worksheet on which food workers record the date, food item, time, temperature and corrective action for each temperature check, measured against the Colorado food safety limits printed on the form.
The form states those limits at the top:
- Cold-hold and receiving: 41 °F or below.
- Cook temperatures: poultry 165 °F; ground meats and game meat 155 °F; fish, eggs, pork and lamb 145 °F.
A column for the employee's name shows who took each reading. Below the table the form lists corrective actions: dispose of food, move food to other units, rapidly cool food to 41 °F, reject a shipment, or contact a refrigeration maintenance company for repair. It also warns that foods that may have been between 41 °F and 135 °F for over 4 hours must be discarded. The log points to www.BoulderCountyFood.org and has a "Reviewed by" line.
The page also carries Cooling and Cold-Holding Checklists for refrigeration units, cold tops, ice baths, other cold-hold tips, checking temperatures and maintenance. The form defines COOLING as reducing food temperatures to 41 °F and COLD HOLDING as keeping food at 41 °F or below.
Boulder County lists the log among its tools for restaurant managers on the Food Safety and Active Managerial Control (AMC) page. That page describes AMC as creating policies, training employees on them and following up that employees follow them.
Who needs to file Food Temperature Log – Boulder County, CO?
The log is meant for the restaurants and other retail food establishments that Boulder County Licensing addresses on its Food Safety and Active Managerial Control (AMC) page, where it appears among tools to help managers run their business more safely and prevent food hazards.
- Food workers enter each reading, with their name in the Employee Name column. The checklists say to teach all food workers how to check and record food temperatures and have them share in the responsibility.
- Managers use the "Reviewed by" line to show who looked over the completed log.
The form does not say that a particular type of business must keep it, and it names no one who signs for another person. Questions about whether your establishment must keep temperature records belong with Boulder County Licensing.
When to file Food Temperature Log – Boulder County, CO
You make an entry each time you take a temperature reading, such as when a delivery is received, when food is cooked, or when cold-held food is checked. The log has no filing deadline printed on it.
The checklists give the checking rhythm: check food temperatures at least every 3 hours at a cold top, and every hour during the cooling process. They also say to calibrate thermometers every day. If a reading falls outside the limits printed on the form, record the corrective action in the same entry. The log is not tied to a renewal date or validity period.
How to fill out Food Temperature Log – Boulder County, CO
Enter the date of the check
Write the date in the Date column for each reading. Start a new row for every food item you check.
Name the food item
In the Food item column, list the specific food being checked, such as a delivered product, a cooked item or a cold-held item.
Record the time
In the Time column, enter the time you took the temperature. For cold tops, the checklist calls for checks at least every 3 hours, and every hour during the cooling process.
Write the measured temperature
In the Temperature column, enter the reading and compare it with the limits at the top: 41 °F or below for cold-hold and receiving; 165 °F poultry, 155 °F ground meats and game meat, 145 °F fish, eggs, pork and lamb for cooking.
Record any corrective action
If a reading is outside the limit, enter what you did in the Corrective Action column. The form lists: dispose of food, move food to other units, rapidly cool food to 41°F, reject shipment, or contact a refrigeration maintenance company for repair.
Discard food held too long
If food may have been between 41 °F and 135 °F for over 4 hours, the form says it must be discarded; note that action in the same row.
Add the employee name
Enter the name of the employee who took the reading in the Employee Name column.
Complete the reviewer line
Have the person who reviews the log fill in the "Reviewed by" line.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that every row has a date, time, temperature and any needed corrective action, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Keep it as the agency instructs.
How to submit Food Temperature Log – Boulder County, CO
The Food Temperature Log prints no mailing address, portal, appointment rule or other submission channel, so there is nothing on the form to send anywhere. Boulder County Licensing presents it among tools for restaurant managers on its Food Safety and Active Managerial Control page, at https://bouldercounty.gov/records/licenses/tools-for-restaurant-managers/. The form points to www.BoulderCountyFood.org for more information; contact Boulder County Licensing if you need to know how your establishment should keep or present its logs. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; what you do with the completed log follows the agency's own instructions.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the Corrective Action column empty when a reading is outside the limits printed on the form, such as above 41 °F for cold-hold or receiving.
- Keeping food that may have been between 41 °F and 135 °F for over 4 hours; the form says it must be discarded.
- Using one temperature limit for every food: poultry is 165 °F, ground meats and game meat 155 °F, and fish, eggs, pork and lamb 145 °F.
- Skipping daily thermometer calibration, which the checklists list for cold-top checking and for maintenance.
- Covering food while it is cooling; the refrigeration checklist says food is not covered while cooling.
- Cooling hot food directly in refrigerators instead of in ice baths first; the checklist says this can be hard on refrigerator units.
- Leaving out the employee's name, so the reading cannot be traced to the person who took it.
- Completing the log without anyone filling in the "Reviewed by" line.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Boulder County Food Temperature Log?
It is a Boulder County Licensing worksheet for recording the date, food item, time, temperature and corrective action of food temperature checks. It prints the Colorado food safety limits and adds cooling and cold-holding checklists on the same document.
What temperature must cold-held food be?
The log states 41 °F or below for cold-hold and receiving, citing Colorado food safety regulations. It defines cold holding as keeping food at 41 °F or below and cooling as reducing food temperatures to 41 °F.
What cook temperatures does the log list?
Poultry 165 °F; ground meats and game meat 155 °F; and fish, eggs, pork and lamb 145 °F. The form prints these as the Colorado food safety requirements for cook temperatures.
What should I do if food is out of temperature?
Record a corrective action in the log. The form lists: dispose of food, move food to other units, rapidly cool food to 41°F, reject shipment, or contact a refrigeration maintenance company. Food that may have been between 41 °F and 135 °F for over 4 hours must be discarded.
How often should I check food temperatures?
The cold-top checklist says to check food temperatures at least every 3 hours, and every hour during the cooling process. It also says to calibrate thermometers every day. The log itself prints no other schedule.
Can I fill out the Food Temperature Log online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not connected to Boulder County, and it does not file or send the log to anyone.
Where do I send the completed log?
The log prints no address or submission channel. Boulder County lists it among restaurant manager tools on its Food Safety and Active Managerial Control page; contact Boulder County Licensing about how your establishment should keep or present it.
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