Freezer temperatures
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2020 11:14 am
I am not sure of the actual legislation but I believe that freezers in shops should normally have a temperature of -18° C or lower, with occasional excursions as high as -15° C.
I have carefully noted that the Lidl that I frequent have all the freezers well below the limit, usually -21° C or thereabouts, which is excellent.
I was in a different shop yesterday and noticed that all their freezers had temperatures higher than -16° C, two of them at -12° C, which I am reasonably sure does not conform to the regulations. I informed the lady managing it and, guess what?, I got the shoulder shrug. The particular shop, which I am not naming, has frozen products of UK origin, including fish products which may be more dangerous than some made up dishes. I went into the shop expressly to get something easy for supper but I came out empty-handed.
May I suggest that you check the temperature of freezers before buying any products out of them? If they are not consistently at -18° C or lower (bigger figure, such as, -20° C), I recommend that you do not buy, especially as the hot season is approaching. If one freezer is at between -15° C and -18° C, this is acceptable, particularly if other customers have been rummaging in it.
Caveat emptor!
I have carefully noted that the Lidl that I frequent have all the freezers well below the limit, usually -21° C or thereabouts, which is excellent.
I was in a different shop yesterday and noticed that all their freezers had temperatures higher than -16° C, two of them at -12° C, which I am reasonably sure does not conform to the regulations. I informed the lady managing it and, guess what?, I got the shoulder shrug. The particular shop, which I am not naming, has frozen products of UK origin, including fish products which may be more dangerous than some made up dishes. I went into the shop expressly to get something easy for supper but I came out empty-handed.
May I suggest that you check the temperature of freezers before buying any products out of them? If they are not consistently at -18° C or lower (bigger figure, such as, -20° C), I recommend that you do not buy, especially as the hot season is approaching. If one freezer is at between -15° C and -18° C, this is acceptable, particularly if other customers have been rummaging in it.
Caveat emptor!