Quick-frozen food is the one part of the cold chain where EU law names the instrument. Regulation (EC) No 37/2005 says what must be recorded, and it points to three European standards for how the instruments are built and checked. Buyers of cold store and transport equipment meet the result as a line on a datasheet: "EN 12830". This guide explains what that line covers, what the Regulation requires around it, and how a general temperature monitoring system relates to it.
EpiSensor's own sensors are not EN 12830 recorders and are not sold as such. Where the Regulation applies, the operator needs an instrument that complies. Where it does not, or beside such an instrument, a monitoring system with alarms keeps a fuller record.
What Regulation 37/2005 requires
The Regulation is short: five articles, in force since 2005 and never amended. It replaced Commission Directive 92/1/EEC and applies to the transport, warehousing and storage of quick-frozen food.
| Article | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 2(1) | Means of transport, warehousing and storage "shall be fitted with suitable recording instruments to monitor, at frequent and regular intervals, the air temperature" |
| 2(2) | From 1 January 2006, the instruments "shall comply with EN 12830, EN 13485 and EN 13486 standards", and the operator keeps the documents that prove it |
| 2(3) | Temperature records are "dated and stored by the food operator for a period of at least one year", or longer depending on the food's nature and shelf life |
| 3(1) | In retail display cabinets and local distribution, the air temperature need only be "measured by at least one easily visible thermometer" |
| 3(1) | In an open display cabinet, the maximum load line is marked and the thermometer reads at the air return side, at the level of that line |
| 3(2) | A member state may allow a visible thermometer in a retail cold store of less than 10 m³ |
Three points are easy to miss. The Regulation measures air temperature, not product temperature. It covers quick-frozen food as defined in Directive 89/108/EEC, which is kept at −18 °C or colder; ordinary frozen food and ice cream are outside that definition, although many operators record them the same way. It sets no reading interval: "frequent and regular" is the only guidance.
National law repeats it. In Germany, § 2a of the frozen food ordinance (TLMV) requires the air temperature to be recorded with instruments that meet Regulation 37/2005, and gives retail reserve freezers under 10 m³ the visible-thermometer option. For road transport between countries, the ATP agreement now asks for recorders that "comply with standard EN 12830:2018".
The three standards
| Standard | Current edition | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| EN 12830 | 2018 | Temperature recorders: tests, performance and suitability for use |
| EN 13485 | 2023 | Thermometers for ambient or product temperature, electronic or mechanical |
| EN 13486 | 2023 | Periodic verification of recorders and thermometers |
The Regulation cites the standards without a date, so the current editions apply. All three were widened from food and ice cream to temperature-sensitive goods in general, which brings medicines, chemicals and plants into scope.
EN 12830: recorders
EN 12830:2018 replaced the 1999 edition. Its scope covers recorders from −80 °C to +85 °C and "applies to the whole temperature recording system". The sensors "may be integrated into the recorder or be remote from it". The 2018 edition added concepts for recorders with digital probes and for recorders "on the cloud", where the hardware is on site and the software and database are hosted by a service provider. It also added protection of the data from manipulation, software verification and requirements for where the sensors go for each type of use.
Instruments are declared in accuracy classes: 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 2. EN 13486 defines the maximum permissible error as "equal to the equipment class", so a class 1 recorder is within ±1 K. It gives class 0.5 from −25 °C to +7 °C as the example for fresh and deep-frozen food.
The standard also separates monitoring from control. Manufacturers' compliance records quote clause 5.1: the measurement must be "independent of any temperature measurement which is used to control the refrigerating system". A refrigeration controller's own probe therefore cannot be the recorder's sensor.
EN 13485: thermometers
EN 13485 covers thermometers for the same goods, including those with wired or wireless sensors. The 2023 edition added class 0.2. It does not specify where the thermometer goes.
A real designation shows the format. Carel's MPXPRO manual declares the controller, with its standard NTC probes, compliant with EN 13485 as "air, S, 1, −50T90 °C": an air thermometer, with its application code, accuracy class 1 and a range of −50 °C to 90 °C. That is a thermometer declaration for display, not a recorder declaration.
EN 13486: verification
EN 13486 sets how recorders and thermometers are checked in service. It requires verification of every new instrument, after a change to the measurement chain, after problems and after repairs. It does not set a fixed interval: "the frequency and the type of the checks depends on the requirements of the contracting parties", and the operating history may be used to adjust it. Many operators verify once a year, and ATP asks for verification by an accredited body.
The check uses a reference with an uncertainty of half the class: 0.25 °C for class 0.5, 0.5 °C for class 1. It tests at least the lowest and highest temperatures of the range used most often, and adds a mid-point when that range is wider than 10 K.
How a monitoring system relates to EN 12830
A recorder and a monitoring system answer different questions. The recorder proves, after the event, that the air stayed at the required temperature. A monitoring system tells someone, during the event, that it is not.
| Need | Instrument |
|---|---|
| Quick-frozen food in a warehouse or vehicle, EU | An EN 12830 recorder, verified to EN 13486. This is the legal record |
| Quick-frozen food in a retail display cabinet | An easily visible thermometer at the load line, on the air return side |
| Chilled food, any business | No EU requirement for EN 12830. The HACCP plan sets the instrument and its accuracy |
| Alarms out of hours, any store | A monitoring system with alarm rules and notifications |
| Explaining an excursion | Controller data, door state, defrost state, compressor power |
A general monitoring system fits around the recorder in three ways:
- Chilled storage. Most food in a chiller is outside Regulation 37/2005. A wireless probe at the warmest point, logged every few minutes, is a complete HACCP record if the plan accepts the instrument and its checks.
- Alarms beside the recorder. A certified recorder in a frozen store keeps the legal record. An independent probe at a different position raises the alarm at 03:00 and records who acted.
- Context. Reading the refrigeration controller over Modbus shows the setpoint, the defrost state and the evaporator temperature behind an excursion. The refrigeration controller guide explains how.
With EpiSensor, TES probe temperature sensors report to a Gateway running Edge. The TES datasheet gives ±0.2 °C from −20 °C to 70 °C and ±0.5 °C across −40 °C to 105 °C for the waterproof probe, 0.01 °C resolution, timestamps synchronised to the Gateway's time server, and up to 70,000 readings stored on the sensor if the radio link is down. None of that makes the system an EN 12830 recorder: the standard is a type test, and the system has not been tested against it. Use it where the law does not name the instrument, or beside the instrument where it does.
The HACCP temperature monitoring guide describes the rest of the system: probe positions, controller readings and alarms.
Records that satisfy both
Whether the record comes from a recorder, a monitoring system or both, keep:
- the instrument's identity, class and verification certificate;
- the sensor position, matched to the warmest point of the store or vehicle (the probe placement guide covers this);
- dated readings for at least a year, or for the shelf life if it is longer;
- each excursion, with its cause and the action taken.
The HACCP critical limits guide covers what goes into those excursion records, and the food storage temperature guide lists the frozen-food tolerances by country.
Common questions
What is EN 12830?
A European standard for temperature recorders used in the transport, storage and distribution of temperature-sensitive goods. It sets tests, performance requirements and suitability for use. The current edition is EN 12830:2018, which widened the scope from chilled and frozen food and ice cream to other goods such as medicines.
Is an EN 12830 recorder a legal requirement?
For quick-frozen food in the EU, yes. Regulation (EC) No 37/2005 requires the air temperature in transport, warehousing and storage to be recorded with instruments that comply with EN 12830, EN 13485 and EN 13486. Retail display cabinets and local distribution need only an easily visible thermometer.
What is the difference between EN 12830, EN 13485 and EN 13486?
EN 12830 covers temperature recorders, EN 13485 covers thermometers, and EN 13486 covers the periodic verification of both. Current editions are EN 12830:2018, EN 13485:2023 and EN 13486:2023.
How often must an EN 12830 recorder be verified?
EN 13486:2023 does not set a fixed interval. Verification is required for a new instrument, after a repair, after a change to the measurement chain and after problems. The user and its customers set the frequency, and the operating history can be used to adjust it. Many operators verify once a year.
How long must quick-frozen food temperature records be kept?
At least one year under Regulation (EC) No 37/2005, Article 2(3), or longer if the nature and shelf life of the food make that necessary.