Generate a printable kitchen closing checklist — cooling and storage, cleaning, final temperatures and sign-off — for your food business. Free PDF, FSANZ-aligned.
A closing checklist should cover cooling and storing leftover food correctly, labelling and dating it, cleaning and sanitising surfaces and equipment, checking final fridge and freezer temperatures, and disposing of waste. It leaves the kitchen safe and ready for the next day.
Cooked food that will be kept should be cooled from 60C to 21C within two hours and from 21C to 5C within a further four hours, then refrigerated. Dividing food into shallow containers helps it cool quickly enough to stay out of the danger zone.
Once cooled, store potentially hazardous food covered and at or below 5C, clearly labelled with what it is and the date. Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separated to avoid cross-contamination.
Most overnight food safety risks, like food left out to cool too slowly or fridges not checked, happen at closing. A checklist ensures cooling, storage and cleaning are done properly and creates a signed record for council.
The staff member closing the kitchen, ideally a supervisor or the Food Safety Supervisor on shift, should complete and sign it. A named person each night keeps responsibility clear.
Yes. This tool gives you a free printable PDF, and FoodSafety HQ can run closing checklists digitally so cooling records, final temperatures and sign-offs are captured on a phone and stored automatically for audits.