Refrigeration Compliance Checklist for Child Care Centres (Food Act & Safe Food QLD)

Stay Audit-Ready and Protect Children’s Health with This Practical Refrigeration Compliance Guide for QLD Child Care Centres

Child care centres in Queensland are legally required to store food safely in line with the Food Act 2006 (QLD) and Safe Food QLD standards. If your centre stores, prepares, or serves food, refrigeration compliance isn’t just best practice — it’s a legal obligation.

Here’s a practical refrigeration compliance checklist tailored to child care environments to help you stay audit-ready, reduce risk, and protect children's health.

• Refrigerators must be kept at or below 5°C
• Freezers must be at or below -15°C
• Use digital thermometers or integrated monitoring systems to log and verify daily temperatures.

• Record fridge and freezer temperatures at least once per day
• Maintain logs for at least 12 months in case of audit or food safety investigations
• Investigate and document any breaches immediately

• Label all food with date received or opened
• Use sealed, food-grade containers and store raw foods below ready-to-eat items
• Avoid overloading fridges, which can block airflow and cause uneven cooling

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ACRO are experts in HACCP Refrigeration[/caption]

• Have all commercial refrigeration units serviced at least annually (preferably quarterly in QLD's humid climate)
• Check door seals, fan motors, thermostats, and defrost cycles for proper operation
• Keep service records as part of your Food Safety Plan

• Have a documented process for responding to refrigeration failure (e.g. power outages, mechanical faults)
• Include: Contact details for your refrigeration service provider
• Safe food transfer plan
• Cooler storage protocols or disposal procedures

• Clean interior and exterior surfaces weekly with food-safe disinfectant
• Include fridge and freezer cleaning in your centre’s HACCP plan
• Check for mould, odour, and expired food during cleaning

Non-compliance can result in:

• Foodborne illness among children
• Breach of your centre’s licence conditions
• Fines, enforcement notices, or closure by your local council

At ACRO Refrigeration, we help child care centres across Brisbane,  Logan, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast maintain refrigeration systems that meet all Food Act 2006 and Safe Food QLD requirements.

Our Preventive Maintenance Agreements include:

• Compliance-friendly service reporting
• Temperature sensor checks
• Emergency repair response
• 5-year workmanship guarantee

📞 Call us today on 1300 227 600📧 Email: workshop@acrorefrigeration.com.au

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