# Restaurant prep list and food temperature log on a phone

> For the full documentation index, see https://250highstreet.com/llms.txt

> Replace the paper binder with a SharePoint list: a daily prep list, a temperature log filled in on a phone, and a flow that flags a missed check.

A food temperature log needs one row per reading: unit, time slot, date, temperature, in range yes or no, who took it and what action you took. Build it as a SharePoint list that cooks fill in on a phone, and add a daily flow that emails you when a check is missing. A second list holds the day's prep tasks. The lists keep a record of what your crew did and expose gaps. They never rule on what is safe.

The FDA Food Code is the federal model code, and your local health department governs. The reference box near the end quotes it. Use the limits from your health department and your own food safety plan. The list never judges a reading. The person who takes the reading decides if it is in range, using your own limits. Exact names may differ on your screen.

## Why paper binders fail

A binder works when one person owns it. A busy kitchen is not that. Where the binder breaks:

- A sheet is filled in at the end of the shift from memory, not at the time of the check.
- A skipped check leaves a blank box that nobody sees until later.
- Handwriting is hard to read and a number can be read two ways.
- Finding last month's readings for one fridge means flipping through the whole binder.
- The manager cannot see today's status from home or from the office.

A list gives each reading its own row, with a name and a time stamp. A blank is easy to find because a row is missing. If you are still deciding whether to leave a spreadsheet, see "[Replace a spreadsheet tracker with a SharePoint list](/guides/replace-spreadsheet-with-sharepoint-list/)".

## Before you start

Decide four things now. They are hard to change after 500 rows.

- Which units get a temperature check. Example: walk-in cooler, line fridge, hot holding. Use your own list.
- How many checks a day, and when. Call each one a slot, such as Opening, Midday and Closing.
- Who takes readings. A short list of named people helps.
- Where your limits are written. Keep them on a posted sheet or in your food safety plan, not in the list.

## Step 1. Build the Temperature log list

Each reading becomes one row in this list.

1.  Open Microsoft Lists or your SharePoint site and create a blank list called "Temperature log".
2.  Rename the Title column "Check" and put a short label in it, such as "Walk-in cooler, midday".
3.  Add a column named "Unit". Type: Choice. Use number prefixes: 1 Walk-in cooler, 2 Line fridge, 3 Freezer, 4 Hot holding. Use your own units. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: keep the number prefix so the choices read in your order.
4.  Add a column named "Slot". Type: Choice. Choices: 1 Opening, 2 Midday, 3 Closing.
5.  Add a column named "Check date". Type: Date and time, date only. Microsoft says you can set a default value for this type, such as the current date. A formula like \[TODAY\]+30 is their example. Set the default to today, so staff do not type it.
6.  Add a column named "Reading". Type: Number. Microsoft says you choose how many decimal places to store. Pick the number of decimals your thermometer shows.
7.  Add a column named "In range?". Type: Choice. Choices: 1 Yes, 2 No. The person who took the reading sets this by comparing the number to your own limits.
8.  Add a column named "Taken by". Type: Person or Group. Allow one person only.
9.  Add a column named "Action taken". Type: Multiple lines of text. Use it when "In range?" is 2 No.

Do not use the Number column setting that limits the range of numbers people can enter to hold a safety limit. That setting is for catching typing mistakes, such as an extra zero. If you use it, set it wide, well outside any real reading. Your food safety limits belong in your plan, not in a column rule.

## Step 2. Build the Prep list

This list has one row for each prep task on each day.

1.  Create a second blank list named "Prep list".
2.  Use the Title column. Rename it "Task" and use a short line, such as "Slice onions".
3.  Add a column named "Prep date". Type: Date and time, date only. Default: today.
4.  Add a column named "Station". Type: Choice: 1 Grill, 2 Salad, 3 Pastry, 4 Dish. Use your own stations.
5.  Add a column named "Status". Type: Choice: 1 To do, 2 In progress, 3 Done. Set the default to 1 To do.
6.  Add a column named "Assigned to". Type: Person or Group, one person.
7.  Add a column named "Amount". Type: Single line of text. Example: "2 trays".

Start the day by adding that day's rows. One way to start: copy last week's rows for the same day, then change the date. The copy step is manual on purpose. It keeps the list simple.

## Step 3. Fill it in on a phone

The Microsoft Lists phone app was retired in November 2025. On a phone, a cook opens the list in a web browser. See "[Microsoft Lists phone app is gone: what to use now](/guides/microsoft-lists-mobile-app-retired/)". Try one real photo on a real phone before you depend on it.

You have two ways to collect readings. Pick one.

1.  The list's own form. It already matches your columns, so it is the easiest. Fewer fields means more readings get logged, so trim it. For long forms, see "[Customize SharePoint list form sections](/guides/customize-sharepoint-list-form-sections/)".
2.  Microsoft Forms, with a Power Automate flow copying each response into the list. It takes more work, so use it only when cooks should never see the list. See "[Save Microsoft Forms answers to a SharePoint list](/guides/microsoft-forms-to-sharepoint-list/)".

Post a card at each unit with the routine: open the list, tap New, choose the unit, enter the number, set "In range?", tap Save. Try it first with the teammate who is least at ease with a phone.

## Step 4. Make views people actually use

A view only changes what is shown on the screen. Build these on the Temperature log list.

Microsoft says you must use the classic view editor to filter with \[Today\] or \[Me\], and that you cannot use them when you filter from a column header. In the view menu, choose Edit current view, then scroll to Filters.

1.  "Today". In the classic view editor, set Check date is equal to \[Today\]. Sort by Slot.
2.  "Out of range". Set "In range?" is equal to 2 No. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: use the classic view editor for blank and "is not equal to" filters too. Sort by Check date, newest first.
3.  "Last 7 days". Set Check date is greater than or equal to \[Today\]-7. Microsoft's page shows \[Today\]-7 as an example for items changed in the past week.

For the Prep list, make a view "Open today": Prep date is equal to \[Today\] and Status is not equal to 3 Done, also in the classic view editor. Group it by Station.

Make these views public if you can, so everyone sees the same thing. A personal view is seen only by you.

## Step 5. Build the missed-check flow

A view only helps when someone opens it, so let a flow do the checking. It asks one question: did any row land for this slot today? If none did, it emails the manager. It never reads the value.

1.  Sign in to Power Automate and choose My flows. On the Cloud flows tab, pick Create from blank.

2.  Add a trigger and search for Recurrence. Set Interval to 1 and Frequency to Day. Microsoft says that choosing Day lets you set the hour and minute of the run. Choose your time zone. Schedule the run shortly after the slot's deadline, for example 1 PM for a midday check.

3.  Add the SharePoint action Get items and point it at your site and the Temperature log list.

4.  Open Advanced options. Microsoft says the default item limit is 100 and that you can raise it up to 5,000 with Top Count. Enter a Top Count well above your daily row count, such as 500, and turn Pagination on in the action settings. Skip this and the flow sees only the first 100 rows.

5.  Fill in Filter Query with internal column names, where a space becomes \_x0020\_. To confirm the real name, open the column settings and read the address bar after Field=. Microsoft's example compares a date column with formatDateTime(utcNow(),'yyyy-MM-dd') using gt. This step uses ge, which Microsoft also lists. Type Check_x0020_date ge '' and Slot eq '2 Midday'. Put the cursor between the first pair of single quotes, open the Expression tab and add formatDateTime(utcNow(),'yyyy-MM-dd').

    Edit the slot text in each copy of the flow. Run it against sample rows first, since time zones can push a date off by one day.

6.  Add a Condition that tests whether the output of Get items is empty. Microsoft's function reference lists an empty function that returns true for an empty collection.

7.  In the yes branch, add Send an email (V2) from Office 365 Outlook. Address it to the manager. A single line in the body is enough, for example "Nothing was logged for the midday slot today. Please look." Include a link to the Today view.

8.  Save, run the flow once by hand and read the run history.

Make one copy of the flow for each slot, with its own run time and slot text. Name a backup person who can open and fix the flow. If the owner leaves, the flow may stop.

The flow spots an absent row. It cannot catch a row holding an invented value, and it cannot confirm the check happened at the right hour. Treat it as a reminder, nothing more.

## Step 6. Review it each week

Once a week, open "Out of range" and read the Action taken notes. Look for a unit that appears more than once. A repeat is a sign to look at the equipment or the routine. What counts as a problem is set by your plan, not by this list.

## Optional add-ons: cooling log and receiving log

Add these as separate lists with the same pattern as the Temperature log, so the main list stays short.

- Cooling log: Title for the dish, Start time, Start reading, a reading near the 2 hour mark, a reading near the 6 hour mark (the two cooling stages in the reference box below), Taken by, Action taken. The FDA Food Code section 3-501.14 sets cooling times; your health department governs which ones apply to you.
- Receiving log: Title for the delivery, Supplier, Reading on arrival, In range? (1 Yes, 2 No), Taken by, Action taken.

## Reference: what the FDA Food Code says

The FDA Food Code is the federal model code. It is not the law in your kitchen. Your local health department governs, and it may follow a different edition. The 2022 edition, section 3-501.16, says time/temperature control for safety food shall be maintained "At 57°C (135°F) or above" or "At 5°C (41°F) or less." The same section lets certain roasts be held at 130°F (54°C) or above, under conditions set in other sections. Section 3-501.14 says cooked time/temperature control for safety food shall be cooled "Within 2 hours from 57ºC (135ºF) to 21ºC (70°F)" and "Within a total of 6 hours from 57ºC (135ºF) to 5ºC (41°F) or less." Link: [https://www.fda.gov/media/164194/download](https://www.fda.gov/media/164194/download). Put your own limits in your food safety plan and on the posted sheet, not in a column rule.

## Paper backup sheet

For a clipboard at each unit, rule a page with the same columns as the Temperature log: Check, Unit, Slot, Date, Reading, In range?, Taken by, Action taken. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: type each paper reading into the list the same day so the list stays the record.

## What to avoid

- Keep temperature limits, hold times and code rules out of the list and out of the flow. Take limits from your health department and your own food safety plan.
- Never let a formula or flow fill "In range?" from a figure pasted off a website. The person holding the thermometer decides against your posted limits.
- Skip a calculated column for "hours since the check". SharePoint blocks \[Today\] in calculated column formulas, so use a view filter plus the flow.
- Set Top Count and Pagination on Get items every time. Without them you get 100 rows.
- Send one digest email, not a separate one per unit.
- Leave old readings in place, because they form your history.
- A view is not a lock. If only some people may see the list, change its permissions and talk to your admin.
- Keep the form short. A form that takes over a minute sends staff back to paper.

## Honest limits

A list does not take a temperature. It records what a person typed. The flow can show that a check was not logged. It cannot show that the food was safe, that the thermometer works, or that a reading was real. This list does not replace your food safety plan, your health inspection records or any rule you must follow. Ask your health department what records they need and in what form. This page does not say which licenses you need for these actions. Check with your admin before you build. Start with one unit and one slot for two weeks, fix what is awkward, then add the rest.

For a similar pattern with walk-through checks and follow-ups, see "[A safety inspection checklist in SharePoint](/guides/safety-inspection-checklist-sharepoint/)". For service dates on equipment, see "[An equipment maintenance log in SharePoint for a clinic or lab](/guides/equipment-maintenance-log-clinic-lab/)".

## When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: \$5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "[What a SharePoint tracker costs to build](/guides/what-a-sharepoint-tracker-costs/)". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: [Tools I built](/portfolio/)

## FAQ

### Is there a food temperature log template for Excel or paper?

This page builds the log as a SharePoint list, and Microsoft's Create a list page lists "Excel file" as a way to start a list. For paper, rule a page with the Step 1 columns.

### What columns go on a food temperature log sheet?

The eight columns in Step 1 are the sheet. Copy them into a list or onto a ruled page.

### Can I log cooking temperatures too?

Add a Choice value such as 5 Cooking to the Unit column and use the same columns. The person with the thermometer compares the reading to your own limits.

### What holding temperatures does the FDA Food Code list?

The FDA Food Code 2022, section 3-501.16, lists "At 57°C (135°F) or above" for hot holding and "At 5°C (41°F) or less" for cold holding. It is a model code, not your local rule. Your local health department governs, and this page makes no safety or compliance promise.

### Does this replace my health inspection records?

No. It is a tool to record and find your checks. Ask your health department what records they require.

## Sources

- [Microsoft Support, Add list items](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/lists/data-and-lists/add-list-items)
- [Microsoft Support, List and library column types and options](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/lists/data-and-lists/list-and-library-column-types-and-options)
- [Microsoft Support, Use filtering to modify a SharePoint view](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-filtering-to-modify-a-sharepoint-view-3d8efc52-0808-4731-8f9b-3dfaeacea3d4)
- [Microsoft Learn, Run a cloud flow on a schedule in Power Automate](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/run-scheduled-tasks)
- [Microsoft Learn, In-depth analysis into Get items and Get files SharePoint actions](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/business-apps/power-automate/guidance/working-with-get-items-and-get-files)
- [Microsoft Learn, Workflow expression functions reference](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/workflow-definition-language-functions-reference)
- [Microsoft Support, Introduction to SharePoint formulas and functions](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/libraries/introduction-to-sharepoint-formulas-and-functions)
- [Microsoft Support, Create a list](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-list-0d397414-d95f-41eb-addd-5e6eff41b083)

## Related guides

- [A food bank inventory tracker in SharePoint](/guides/food-bank-inventory-tracker/)
- [Food truck inventory tracker in SharePoint](/guides/food-truck-inventory-tracker/)
- [Home care visit log in SharePoint, with missed-visit view](/guides/home-health-visit-log-sharepoint/)
- [A mileage log in SharePoint for a small team](/guides/mileage-log-sharepoint/)

Source: https://250highstreet.com/guides/restaurant-food-temperature-log-prep-checklist/