The correct food transport temperature is not a matter of judgment. For most products moving across Europe, an exact figure is set in EU food hygiene law, and a carrier either holds it or does not. This guide gives the reference range for every major product category, explains the handful of details that trip shippers up, and links each figure back to the regulation that sets it.
Why the exact number matters
A few degrees either way changes more than freshness. Below the correct range, some products freeze and lose texture; above it, bacterial growth accelerates and shelf life collapses. EU rules exist because the risk is measurable, not theoretical, and because a carrier’s temperature record is often the only evidence, after the fact, of whether a shipment was handled correctly.
The master reference table
| Product category | Required range | Regulatory basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh meat, carcasses (not poultry) | ≤ +7°C (core) | Reg. (EC) 853/2004, Annex III | Must reach 7°C before leaving the slaughterhouse and stay there through transport |
| Poultry meat | ≤ +4°C | Reg. (EC) 853/2004 | Lower than red meat due to higher spoilage risk |
| Offal | ≤ +3°C | Reg. (EC) 853/2004 | Strictest fresh-meat category |
| Minced meat and meat preparations | ≤ +2°C to +4°C | Reg. (EC) 853/2004 | Higher surface area accelerates spoilage |
| Fresh fish, fish preparations | 0°C to +2°C, melting ice temperature | EU food hygiene rules | Ice contact is standard practice, not just tradition |
| Frozen fish | −18°C or lower | Directive 89/108/EEC | Same quick-frozen standard as other categories |
| Pasteurised milk, fresh dairy (yoghurt, cream, soft cheese) | 0°C to +4°C | EU food hygiene rules | Some hard cheeses tolerate a wider band, check the product spec |
| Butter | up to +10°C | Industry practice | Higher fat content gives more thermal stability |
| Fresh fruit and vegetables | +8°C to +13°C | Industry / ATP practice | Varies by species; bananas and citrus prefer the higher end |
| Quick-frozen foodstuffs (general) | −18°C or lower | Directive 89/108/EEC | Brief upward fluctuations of up to 3°C are tolerated in transit |
| Deep-frozen (seafood, ice cream) | −25°C to −30°C | Industry practice | The coldest range standard reefer units can sustain |
| Pharmaceuticals, cold chain | +2°C to +8°C | GDP guidelines | Covered in depth in our pharmaceutical transport guide |
| Pharmaceuticals, controlled room temperature | +15°C to +25°C | GDP guidelines | Still requires an active temperature-controlled vehicle |
Three details the table alone won’t tell you
“Quick-frozen” has a built-in tolerance, and it’s the only one that does. Directive 89/108/EEC sets −18°C as the standard but explicitly allows brief upward fluctuations of up to 3°C during transport. No equivalent tolerance exists for fresh meat or dairy: those figures are hard ceilings, not targets with wiggle room.
Meat temperature is measured at the core, not the surface. The 7°C limit for carcasses in Regulation (EC) 853/2004 refers to the deepest tissue, which cools slower than the surface. A carcass can show a cold surface reading well before the core has caught up, which is why the regulation focuses on core temperature and why chilling time before loading matters as much as the trailer’s setpoint.
Frozen and chilled goods generally cannot share a trailer. A −18°C zone and a +4°C zone in the same compartment is a multi-temperature trailer problem, not a setting adjustment. Mixed loads need either a trailer built with separate compartments or two separate trips. We cover the equipment side of this in our guide to refrigerated transport.
What happens when the chain breaks
A shipment that spends even part of its journey outside the required range does not automatically become unusable, but it does trigger scrutiny. For regulated products, the exporter or receiving business typically has to document the deviation and assess whether the product remains fit for sale; for pharmaceuticals under GDP, that assessment is formal and can result in the batch being rejected outright. This is the practical reason continuous temperature recording, not spot checks, is now standard on any serious reefer fleet.
Need a specific product temperature confirmed, or a quote for a shipment at one of these regimes? Contact us with the product, volume and route, or see our refrigerated transport service for the full offering.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Only in a trailer built with separate temperature-controlled compartments. A standard single-zone reefer cannot hold −18°C in one section and +10°C in another, so mixed loads need multi-temperature equipment or separate trips.
Neither has a single EU-mandated figure the way meat or quick-frozen food does; both are generally kept in a controlled range around +15°C to +20°C to prevent melting, blooming or texture changes, with the exact figure set by the product’s own specification.
For quick-frozen food, yes: up to 3°C above −18°C is permitted briefly. For fresh meat, offal and dairy, the regulatory figures are ceilings without a built-in tolerance, so continuous monitoring matters more, not less.
The product category sets a regulatory floor or ceiling where one applies (meat, quick-frozen food, pharmaceuticals under GDP). Within that, the shipper specifies the exact target based on the product’s own sensitivity, and the carrier is responsible for holding it.
No, the required range for the product stays the same year-round. What changes is how hard the refrigeration unit has to work to hold it, since a Bulgarian summer and a Central European winter both sit well outside most food transport ranges.
Every figure in this table exists because someone measured what happens when it isn’t held. Treat the range as a floor for the conversation with your carrier, not the end of it. Ask specifically how the temperature will be recorded on your shipment, and you’ll know before the truck leaves whether the number on paper matches what happens on the road.
