What records should a food manager maintain for regulatory compliance?

Documentation supports food safety compliance and serves as evidence during inspections, audits, and outbreak investigations. Records to maintain: (1) EMPLOYEE HEALTH — employee illness agreements (signed acknowledgments of reporting requirements), illness logs (when reported, what symptoms/diagnoses, exclusion/restriction decisions, return to work), interview records; (2) TRAINING — CFPM certificates (for PIC and others), food handler certifications, internal training records (topic, date, attendees, instructor); (3) TEMPERATURE LOGS — refrigeration units (multiple times daily, target ≤41°F), freezer units (≤0°F), cooking temperatures (especially for HACCP CCPs), cooling logs (135°F to 70°F to 41°F), hot holding (≥135°F), reheating to 165°F; (4) THERMOMETER CALIBRATION — when and how calibrated (ice water for 32°F, boiling water for 212°F at sea level); (5) CLEANING/SANITIZING — schedules, completion records, sanitizer testing results (test strips throughout shift); (6) PEST CONTROL — service records from PCO, pesticide application logs, monitoring logs, response actions; (7) SUPPLIERS — invoices for tracking; shellstock tags retained 90 days from container empty date; (8) HACCP DOCUMENTS — written HACCP plan (if applicable); monitoring records at CCPs; corrective action records; verification activities; (9) RECALLS — notices received, actions taken, products affected; (10) ALLERGEN — ingredient lists, allergen guides, customer notifications; (11) INSPECTION REPORTS — regulatory inspections, internal audits, corrective actions; (12) EQUIPMENT — maintenance schedules, repairs, calibrations; (13) WATER — well water test results if private well; (14) GREASE TRAP — pumping/maintenance records. Retention: most records 1-2 years; some longer (HACCP, training certificates); shellstock tags 90 days. Many records can be electronic; ensure backup and access. Use of digital temperature monitoring systems is increasing — automated, tamper-resistant, alarm functions.