Food safety
Line cook shift checklist
- Who checks
- Line cook or station lead; checked by the sous chef or head chef
- When
- Every shift: the start before the first order, the close after the station is shut down
- Time
- ~15 min · 29 items
| Location | Date and time | Inspector | Signature |
Most kitchen violations happen not because cooks don't know the rules, but because something was skipped at the start of the shift: the fridge temperature wasn't logged, a prep container wasn't labeled, the wrong board was used. The cook checklist puts everything a cook does on their station from arrival to departure in one place, so every shift starts the same way for every cook, not from memory.
The cook completes the first two sections before the first order and the rest during the shift and at station close. The sous chef or head chef spot-checks stations: matches labels against container contents, looks at the temperature log and at the station after close. Photo items let a manager see the station even when they are not in the kitchen.
Fitness for work and personal hygiene
-
1
The cook has passed the daily fitness-for-work check No symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, no fever, no infected cuts on the hands. The check is recorded in the health log before work starts.☐ Yes☐ No
-
2
Uniform is clean and hair is fully covered Jacket and apron are free of stains from the previous shift; a hat or hairnet covers the hair. Street clothes stay in the locker room.☐ Yes☐ No
-
3
Jewelry and watches removed, nails short and unpolished No rings, bracelets or watches on the hands; gel polish and artificial nails are not allowed.☐ Yes☐ No
-
4
Hands washed properly before entering the kitchen Soap, at least 20 seconds, dried with a single-use towel. Cuts covered with a waterproof plaster and a glove.☐ Yes☐ No
-
5
The cook has read the shift handover and today's 86 list The cook can say which items are unavailable, what prep is left from the last shift and which orders or banquets are expected.☐ Yes☐ No
Station and tools
-
6
Station work surfaces cleaned and sanitized before service Tables, shelves and equipment handles are clean; no unrelated items, personal phone or food on the station.☐ Yes☐ No
-
7
Cutting boards and knives on the station follow the color code Separate tools for raw meat, fish, vegetables and ready-to-eat food. Boards have no deep cuts or cracks.☐ Yes☐ No
-
8
A probe thermometer is on the station, working and clean The thermometer reads about 0 °C (32 °F) in ice water; wipes for cleaning the probe between readings are nearby.☐ Yes☐ No
-
9
Sanitizer solution for surfaces is prepared and labeled The container shows the product, concentration and time of preparation. The solution is replaced per the product instructions.☐ Yes☐ No
-
10
Station cooking equipment is on and at working temperature Ranges, grill, fryer and combi oven are preheated for opening; the hood is switched on before lighting up.☐ Yes☐ No
Station fridge and temperature
-
11
The station fridge is within range and the reading is logged The internal thermometer is within the company standard; the entry is made at the time of reading, with time and signature.☐ Yes☐ No
-
12
Station fridge temperature, °C Thermometer reading at the start of the shift.
-
13
Raw products are stored separately from and below ready-to-eat food Raw meat, poultry and fish on the bottom shelves or in a separate fridge; cooked food and sliced items above, nothing drips down.☐ Yes☐ No
-
14
Everything in the fridge is covered with a lid or wrap No open hotel pans, no products in supplier crates, no uncovered containers stacked on each other.☐ Yes☐ No
Prep and labeling
-
15
Prep is done according to the prep list in the right quantity Quantity is based on the sales forecast and bookings; nothing extra is made "just in case" only to be thrown away.☐ Yes☐ No
-
16
Every prep container has a label: name, date and time made, use-by, who made it Check 3–5 random containers: the label is complete and matches the contents.☐ Yes☐ No
-
17
Expired prep is discarded, not reworked into other dishes Expired food does not go into sauce, soup or staff meals; the write-off is recorded with a reason.☐ Yes☐ No
-
18
A new batch is not added on top of the old one The old remainder is used first or discarded; the container is washed before the new batch.☐ Yes☐ No
-
19
Products are thawed only by an approved method In the fridge on the bottom shelf or in the combi oven on a defrost program; not on the counter at room temperature and not under tap water.☐ Yes☐ No
Cooking and the pass
-
20
Dishes are cooked to the recipe cards: ingredients, portion, yield, plating The cook compares the dish with the photo on the recipe card; current recipe cards are available at the station.☐ Yes☐ No
-
21
Doneness of meat, poultry and mince is checked with a probe, not by eye Core temperature is at least the standard for that product on the recipe card; the probe is cleaned after every reading.☐ Yes☐ No
-
22
Orders flagged for allergies are prepared with separate clean tools The cook sees the flag on the ticket, uses a clean board, knife and dishes, and avoids the shared fryer and sauces containing the allergen.☐ Yes☐ No
-
23
Hot food on the pass is kept hot, cold food is kept cold Plated dishes don't sit on the pass longer than the set time; sauces and sides in the bain-marie are at working temperature.☐ Yes☐ No
-
24
Food is tasted with a clean spoon every time A used spoon goes straight to the dish pit; nobody tastes with fingers.☐ Yes☐ No
-
25
Hands are washed and gloves changed between tasks After raw meat, eggs, trash or a phone: wash hands and put on new gloves before handling ready-to-eat food.☐ Yes☐ No
Closing the station
-
26
Leftover prep is cooled, labeled and put in the fridge Hot prep is cooled quickly in shallow containers, not put hot into a shared fridge. Every container is labeled.☐ Yes☐ No
-
27
Station, equipment and tools are cleaned and sanitized Tables, boards, knives, grill and shelves are clean; no food residue under equipment or along the walls.☐ Yes☐ No
-
28
Station equipment is switched off Ranges, grill and fryer are off, gas is shut off, the combi oven is left open to dry.☐ Yes☐ No
-
29
The handover lists what ran out and what to prep for the next shift Items running low, prep close to its use-by and equipment faults are noted.☐ Yes☐ No
This template is a starting point. Check the limits and wording against your local regulations, your company standards and the equipment manufacturers' instructions.
jeCheck · https://jecheck.io/en/templates/cook-shift
Common violations
- Fridge temperatures are written in the log at the end of the shift "all at once" — the record exists but the control doesn't. If a fridge was warm overnight, nobody notices until a guest complains.
- The label goes on the lid, not on the container: lids get swapped and expired prep ends up with a "fresh" date.
- Hot stock or sides go into the fridge in a deep pot — they take hours to cool and warm up the products next to them.
- The waiter sees the allergy flag on the order, but the cook doesn't: it prints in small type or gets lost on the rail. Check how the flag looks on the kitchen printer or screen.
- A new cook starts on a station without an induction and works "the way the others showed" — so it helps to go through the checklist together with them for the first few shifts.
Frequently asked questions
The cook fills it in for their station, and the sous chef or head chef spot-checks labels, temperatures and cleanliness. That way the cook stays responsible for the station and the manager sees who treats the check as a formality.
Usually at the start and end of each shift, and more often for critical units, as set by your HACCP plan or internal procedure. The key is to record at the moment of reading and act on any deviation right away.
The general checklist covers hygiene, labeling and temperatures, which are the same for everyone. Station specifics (fryer, sushi, pastry) are easy to add as a separate section in your copy of the template.
Similar templates
Food safety
Daily HACCP Checklist for Kitchens
Daily HACCP check in the kitchen: CCP logs, thermometer calibration, corrective actions, sanitizer strength, cross-contamination control, staff fitness.
Food safety
Food Handler Personal Hygiene Checklist Before Shift
Pre-shift fit-for-work check for kitchen staff: symptom questions, hands and cuts, uniform and hair restraints, jewelry, handwashing, gloves and habits.
Food safety
Food Labeling and Date Marking Checklist
Kitchen food labeling check: prep labels with use-by times, opened packs, thawing, FIFO, dry storage, the service line and discarding expired items.
Food safety
Food Receiving Checklist for Restaurants
What to check when receiving food deliveries: delivery vehicle, paperwork, labels, chilled and frozen temperatures, quality checks and rejecting goods.
Food safety
Food Temperature Control Checklist: Cooking, Cooling, Holding
HACCP temperature control: core temps for poultry and ground meat, two-stage cooling, reheating, hot and cold holding, and the temperature log.
Food safety
HACCP records review
How a manager reviews HACCP logs: completeness and timeliness of records, signs of backfilling, deviations and corrective actions.
Run this inspection on your phone
Move the checklist into jeCheck: photos on every item, tasks for each issue with an owner and a deadline, and location comparison by results.