Guide
What to do when a delivery arrives too warm
Do not put it away as normal. Check the reading again with a clean, working probe, compare it with the limit for that product, and decide: return it to the driver, discard it, or, if your plan allows it, have a manager accept it with a written reason. Then record the reading, the decision, who made it and what happened to the food. Never keep measuring until a number looks right.
Step by step
- Re-measure properly. Use a clean probe that you know reads correctly, in the product itself, in the middle of a pack where possible. A second reading to confirm is normal practice. Write down both readings.
- Know the limit for that product. Chilled and frozen food, and different products within them, can have different limits in a food safety plan. The limit is in your plan, not in this guide. If you are unsure, check the current requirements with your competent authority.
- Look at the whole delivery. Is one pack warm, or all of them? Is the van cold? Is the packaging damp, or the product soft? A single warm reading in a crate of cold ones may be a handling issue; every pack warm is a delivery issue.
- Decide. The options are in the table below.
- Record it. Product, supplier, batch, readings, time, decision, who decided, why.
- Tell the supplier. A short note after the event gives you something to refer to the next time it happens.
The options
| Option | When it fits | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Return to the driver | The delivery is clearly above the limit and the driver is still there | Reading, product, who refused it, driver or vehicle details if you have them |
| Discard | The food has already been unloaded, or you judge it unsafe to use or return | Reading, quantity, who decided, how it was disposed of |
| Manager accepts, with a reason | Your plan allows an assessment for the product, and a manager takes the decision | Reading, the reason, who decided, any limit on its use |
The third option is the one that needs the most care. If a manager can accept a warm delivery, the reason should be written at the time and be specific enough that another person could judge it later. "OK" is not a reason.
What not to do
- Put it away and hope. The delivery is now mixed with good stock and the record shows nothing.
- Re-probe until the number is acceptable. Taking readings until one looks right is not a check.
- Accept it silently to avoid an argument with the driver. The record is what protects you in the argument.
- Write the number in the log without the decision. A bad reading with no action next to it is the gap people see first.
Why the decision needs to be recorded
The reading proves the food arrived warm. The decision proves you dealt with it. Without the second, the first is a problem on file. With both, it is a supplier issue handled correctly. For the other records a business keeps around this moment, see our guide on what temperature records a food business in Cyprus should keep.
How ProOps handles it
In Temperature Intelligence, the chef probes the product and one tap sends the reading to ProOps over Bluetooth. When the reading is above the limit it turns red, and the delivery cannot be saved until a corrective action is chosen: returned to the driver, discarded, or a manager override with a reason. The choice is stored with the reading, the supplier, the batch and the time. Nobody has to remember to write it down, because the screen does not move on without it.
It is the same flow in a hotel main kitchen, a restaurant back door or a central kitchen with forty items to receive. See ProOps for restaurants and ProOps for catering.
Prevent it happening again
Keep the records and look at them monthly. If the same supplier or the same time of day keeps appearing, the fix is a conversation, a different delivery slot or a different supplier, and you will have the evidence for it.
See the warm delivery screen. We show the receiving flow in a demo account, with sample data from a fictional hotel.
Book a demoQuestions
Can I take a second reading?
Yes, to confirm the first, with a clean probe. Record both. Do not keep measuring until a number looks acceptable.
Can I accept a warm delivery at all?
That depends on the product and on your food safety plan. If your plan allows it, a manager should decide, and the reason should be written down at the time. Check the current requirements with your competent authority.
What if the driver has already left?
Record the reading and the decision anyway, usually to discard, and tell the supplier. Ask the supplier for a credit or a replacement; your record is what supports the request.
What do I write on the record?
Product, supplier, batch, the readings, the time, the decision, who decided and why.
What does ProOps do differently?
When the reading is above the limit it turns red and the delivery cannot be saved until a corrective action is chosen, so the decision is always on the record.
See it on your own checks.
A 20-minute call. We set up your checklists, tickets, audits and machines in a demo account and walk through them with you.
Prevent. Acknowledge. Prove.