Walk-In Refrigerator Failure Before a Wedding Buffet

• Raw chicken thighs: discard. Raw poultry is high-risk, and about seven hours at 12°C is outside safe cold holding. Cooking does not reliably destroy toxins or spores formed during abuse, and there is no log to prove otherwise.
• Cooked beef stew in a 20 cm deep pot: discard. Cooked meat is high-risk, and a deep pot cools slowly, so the centre likely stayed warm for hours. Reheating is not an acceptable fix for this level of temperature abuse.
• Coleslaw: discard. Cut cabbage and dressing are moist and support growth; the product was held at 12°C for about seven hours.
• Milk: discard. Liquid dairy is a high-risk food and cannot be shown to have stayed at 5°C or below.
• Cooked rice: discard. Bacillus cereus spores survive cooking, and rice held warm or cooled slowly is a classic risk. Do not make fried rice from it.
• Whole tomatoes: keep only with a condition. Intact skin and low water activity at the surface make them lower risk. Inspect for damage or mould, wash them, and use them in a cooked sauce. Discard any cut or damaged tomatoes. The decision rule is evidence-based: high-risk foods above 5°C for well over the safe limit are discarded, while intact low-risk produce may be kept after inspection and washing.

Corrective actions:

1. Stop using the walk-in. Label all affected food 'do not use' and move it away from safe food.
2. Discard the five high-risk items in sealed waste, and record quantities and times.
3. Clean and sanitise the walk-in, then verify it holds 4°C or below before restocking.
4. Check the reach-in fridge is at 4°C or below and use it only for newly purchased safe food.
5. Call the backup supplier or local caterer for cooked meats, dairy-free salads, vegetables and rice. Use the blast chiller only for freshly cooked food.
6. Notify the manager and keep a written incident record; involve environmental health if required. Message to the couple: 'We found a refrigeration fault this morning and are not serving any affected food. To protect your guests, we are replacing the buffet with freshly sourced [safe menu]. The cake and the 21:00 timing are unchanged. We will confirm the final menu by 12:00.' This is honest, protects guests, and does not claim the original food is safe.

1. Install a data logger with an alarm on the walk-in, set to alert at 5°C. This would have detected the rise overnight instead of at 10:00.
2. Require a closing and opening temperature check, signed by the duty manager. The absence of a log is itself a control failure.
3. Keep the walk-in door closed and move high-risk stock to insulated boxes with ice if a power cut occurs. A written emergency plan should name who checks the fridge and who calls the electrician. Also useful: calibrate thermometers monthly, train staff on the 4-hour rule, and keep a backup supplier list. These controls are specific to the guesthouse because they address overnight gaps when no kitchen staff are on duty.