Temperature of cooked food in European hotels

OnMyTodd

We have just come back on holiday from a hotel in Gran Canaria. The hot cooked food on the help yourself buffet was barely lukewarm and that worried us. Is there a minimum temperature that hot cooked food should be maintained in Spain and other countries of Europe. Do the hotels have to check the temperature and if so how often.

duchy

So rather than speaking to the hotel or your rep you waited to post here ?

Really ?

Was this a problem at ALL hotels in Gran Canaria or just the one you happened to be staying in ?

BobWells

I experienced the same problem but in Costa Del Sol. I did complained to both the hotel and the Thomas Cook representative but they basically shook their shoulders and did nothing, not seeming at all interested. I guess someone has to fall ill before they sit up and take any notice. I did write a review on Trip Advisor about the hotel and the temperature of their hot food and noticed other contributors had the same issue. The question was is there a minimum temperature for hot cooked food or can the hotels serve it even if it is only tepid!!!

mgdavid

the food will have been much hotter during the cooking process. Maybe you needed to time your dining room visits to coincide with fresh supplies from the kitchen.

Doshwaster

I always avoid hotel buffets. Hotels are just for sleeping in. Unless you are in the middle of nowhere then there are sure to be plenty of proper restaurants to eat nearby who would be grateful for your business.

Mat_Lock

Name and shame the hotel please. We're lookming at booking hotel in gran Canaria and want to avoid this one.

andrewf75

I would say in hot countries people are generally less bothered about their food being hot - for obvious reasons

But it seems a bit odd to assume that whatever you experienced in one hotel is the norm for the whole country or even whole continent! Maybe it wasn't even the norm for that hotel?

philip1988

In this country hot food that is displayed for human consumption must be held at a minimum of 63 degrees C. If food is held below this temperature it must either be consumed within 2 hours or thrown away. It is highly recommended that the temperatures are checked and recorded regularly. Don't know what the regulations are in Spain or other European countries.



The problem is that food is often piled high and if the heating units aren't very efficient in keeping the food hot for long periods it will soon lose its temperature. The answer is to display smaller amounts and replenish frequently. Buffets can be a source of upset tummies but frequently the root cause is poor food preparation/food hygiene standards.
Before booking a holiday I always check Trip Advisor to get people's views on the standard of food etc

BrianWilliams

Should Spanish hotels and other countries in Europe regularly test the temperature of the food. Is there a law/guideline saying what the minimum temperature of hot food should be. I thought that was a minimum in the UK.

Doshwaster

BrianWilliams wrote: »

Should Spanish hotels and other countries in Europe regularly test the temperature of the food. Is there a law/guideline saying what the minimum temperature of hot food should be. I thought that was a minimum in the UK.

I'm sure each country has its own laws. That's the thing when you go abroad - they do things differently.

agrinnall

If those of you asking the questions would like to do your own research (rather than expecting others to do it for you) the relevant legislation is:

UK - The Food Hygiene Regulations 2006 (as amended)
EU - EC Regulation 852/2004

This is the UK specific document on temperature control:

http://multimedia.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/tempcontrolguiduk.pdf

Feel free to pick out the appropriate points from these documents and tell us all about them.