How to keep delivery food hot: temperatures, time and packaging
Updated October 20, 2026
To keep delivery food hot, shorten the time between the pass and the door, then carry hot food in a closed insulated bag, apart from cold food. The FDA Food Code, the model code that state and local health departments adopt, says hot food that needs temperature control must be held at 135°F (57°C) or above and cold food at 41°F (5°C) or below. USDA advice to consumers is stricter for hot food (140°F) and says perishable food shouldn't sit between 40°F and 140°F for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. A short, tight delivery area does more for temperature than any bag.
In short
- The numbers: hold hot food at 135°F or above and cold at 41°F or below (FDA Food Code 2026, §3-501.16). Your state or county code decides what applies to you.
- California lets potentially hazardous food be out of those temperatures during transport of under 30 minutes, and lets cold food travel at 45°F or below.
- Time is the lever: have the driver at the pass when the food is ready, keep zones tight, and don't hold a finished order for a second one.
- Bags: closed insulated bags, one for hot and one for cold, cleaned daily.
- Containers by dish: vent fried food, pack sauces apart, keep salads cold and separate.
What temperature should delivery food be?
| Rule | Hot food | Cold food | Time | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDA Food Code 2026, §3-501.16 | 135°F (57°C) or above | 41°F (5°C) or below | Separate rules for using time instead of temperature (§3-501.19) | A model code that state and local health departments adopt |
| California Retail Food Code, §113996 | 135°F or above | 41°F or below; 45°F or below during transportation | Exception for transport to or from a food facility of under 30 minutes | Food facilities in California |
| USDA FSIS (consumer advice) | 140°F or above | 40°F or below | No more than 2 hours between 40°F and 140°F; 1 hour above 90°F | Households receiving take-out and delivered food |
The Food Code calls 41°F to 135°F the temperature "Danger Zone" where bacteria can grow. It is a model code, so your county health department's adopted version is what an inspector checks. Ask them how it applies to delivery.
Does California have rules for delivering restaurant food?
Yes. California's Retail Food Code covers food in transport:
- Holding temperatures in transport. Potentially hazardous food must be kept at the required holding temperatures while transported (Health and Safety Code §113982(a)(3)), with the under-30-minute transport exception and the 45°F cold-in-transit allowance in §113996.
- Third-party delivery platforms (AB 3336, 2020). For ready-to-eat food delivered through a third-party food delivery platform, the restaurant must close every bag or container with a tamper-evident method before the platform's driver takes it, and the food must be protected from contamination and kept at a holding temperature that prevents spoilage.
The tamper-evident rule is written for orders delivered through a third-party food delivery platform. If your own employees deliver orders from your own ordering page, ask your county health department whether it applies to you; a sticker seal is cheap either way, and customers notice it.
How long can delivery food be in transit?
There's no single legal limit for your own drivers outside California's 30-minute transport exception, so set your own target and design for it. A useful budget, from the pass to the door:
| Zone (one way) | Minutes on the road (20 mph) | Plus pickup and handover | Pass to door |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1.5 mi (average 1 mi) | 3 | 7 | about 10 minutes |
| 1.5 to 3 mi (average 2.25 mi) | 7 | 7 | about 14 minutes |
| 3 to 5 mi (average 4 mi) | 12 | 7 | about 19 minutes |
What the numbers say:
- Distance isn't the main risk; waiting is. A finished order sitting 10 minutes for a driver adds more time than the move from zone B to zone C.
- One order per trip keeps times short. Holding a finished order to send it with a later one adds minutes to the first.
- Rush hours stretch every row. Check real times from your order history after a busy Friday, and shrink the outer zone if it runs long. See delivery zones.
The speed and handover times are planning assumptions, not measurements; use your own.
What is the best way to keep food hot for delivery?
- Time the driver to the food. Assign the order to a driver while it's cooking, so they're at the pass when it's ready.
- Pre-warm the hot bag (keep it closed near the pass, never on a cooking surface) and keep it zipped between orders.
- Separate hot and cold. Two bags, or a divided bag. A cold salad next to a hot pizza ruins both.
- Fill the space. A half-empty bag loses heat faster; use a smaller bag or a folded towel for one order.
- Keep bags off the car floor and out of the trunk in hot or cold weather, and secure them so they don't tip.
- Clean bags every day. Wipe the inside with a food-safe sanitizer; spilled sauce in a warm bag is a hygiene problem.
- Check temperatures. Probe a test order at the door now and then, especially on long runs.
More on bags: do I need an insulated bag for food delivery?
How do I keep each type of food good on the way?
| Dish | Container | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza | Corrugated box, in a closed insulated pizza bag | The box breathes a little so the base doesn't go soggy; the bag holds the heat |
| Fried food (fries, wings, tempura) | Vented container, not sealed plastic | Steam trapped in a sealed box makes fried food soft |
| Curries, soups, stews | Leak-proof sealed tubs, upright, lids taped or sealed | Holds heat well; spills are the main risk |
| Burgers and sandwiches | Wrapped, with wet toppings or sauces on the side | Keeps buns from going soggy |
| Salads and cold desserts | In the cold bag, dressing apart | Cold food must stay cold (41°F, or 45°F in transit in California) |
| Drinks | Upright in a carrier, cold bag for cold drinks | Stops spills over the food |
How Menuthere helps get food out hot
- Assign before it's ready (Pro): assign the order to a driver from the order screen while it cooks; online drivers come first in the list, and the driver gets a New Delivery Assignment notification with the drop address. Assigning marks the order as dispatched.
- Live driver map for you and the customer: the customer's page shows On the way, an arrival estimate, a live map and a Call button, so they're at the door when the driver arrives.
- Delivery zones to keep the area tight, with a fee per zone and a block on addresses outside it.
- Average order times at checkout: set a delivery time customers see before they order, so you only promise what you can keep. See show average order times.
- No per-delivery fee from Menuthere, on Pro at $39 a month.
What Menuthere doesn't do: it doesn't batch orders, plan routes or record food temperatures, and it doesn't assign drivers automatically. More: your own delivery riders and customers track the rider live.
Run your own drivers with live tracking and no per-delivery fee. Plans:.
More own-delivery guides: hiring drivers, job description template, driver pay and mileage, tips, insurance, employees or contractors, delivery radius and zones. The overview with costs: in-house delivery for restaurants.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should hot delivery food be kept at?
At 135 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) or above, under the FDA Food Code 2026, the model code state and local health departments adopt. USDA advice to consumers says 140 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Your state or county code decides what an inspector checks.
How long can hot food be in a delivery bag?
There's no single federal limit for a restaurant's own drivers. California exempts transport of under 30 minutes from its holding temperatures, and USDA tells consumers not to leave perishable food between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 degrees. Aim for a short trip: in our example, about 10 to 19 minutes from the pass to the door within 5 miles.
What is the best way to keep pizza hot during delivery?
Put the boxed pizza straight into a pre-warmed, closed insulated pizza bag, keep the bag zipped, carry it flat and secure, and send the driver as soon as it's boxed. Don't hold a finished pizza to wait for another order.
Do restaurants have to use tamper-evident packaging for delivery?
In California, yes, for ready-to-eat food delivered through a third-party food delivery platform: the restaurant must close each bag or container with a tamper-evident method before the platform's driver takes it. For your own drivers, ask your county health department; a seal is cheap and reassures customers either way.
Should hot and cold food go in the same delivery bag?
No. Use one bag for hot food and another for cold food, or a divided bag. Cold food must stay at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below, and California allows 45 degrees or below during transport.
Sources (6)
- FDA Food Code 2026, full document: https://www.fda.gov/media/194741/download?attachment (PDF read 20 Oct 2026; text extracted locally): §3-501.16(A) "(1) At 57°C (135°F) or above … or (2) At 5°C (41°F) or less"; §3-501.19 time as a public health control; Annex 3: the temperature "Danger Zone" of 5°C to 57°C (41°F to 135°F); Annex lists the Conference for Food Protection "Guidance Document for Direct to Consumer and Third-Party Delivery Service Food Delivery". FDA, Food Code 2026 page: https://www.fda.gov/food/fda-food-code/food-code-2026 (content current as of 09/30/2026): a model code that jurisdictions adopt. Summary of changes: https://www.fda.gov/food/fda-food-code/summary-changes-2026-fda-food-code (read 20 Oct 2026): no change listed to §3-501.16 or §3-501.19.
- USDA FSIS, "Danger Zone" (40°F – 140°F): https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/danger-zone-40f-140f (last updated Jun 28, 2023; read in a browser 20 Oct 2026): "Never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour."; "Keep hot food hot—at or above 140 °F."
- USDA FSIS, Safe Handling of Take-Out Foods: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-handling-take-out-foods (read in a browser 20 Oct 2026): "To keep hot foods safe, keep them at 140 °F or above. Cold foods must be kept at 40 °F or below."; "Just keeping food warm (between 40 and 140 °F) is not safe."
- California Health and Safety Code §113996: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=113996.&lawCode=HSC (read in a browser 20 Oct 2026): "(a) Except during preparation, cooking, cooling, transportation to or from a retail food facility for a period of less than 30 minutes … potentially hazardous food shall be maintained at or above 135°F, or at or below 41°F."; (c)(6) may be held at or below 45°F: "Potentially hazardous foods held during transportation."
- California AB 3336 (Carrillo), Chapter 105, Statutes of 2020 (approved 18 Sep 2020), amending HSC §113982 and adding §113930.5: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB3336 (read in a browser 20 Oct 2026): §113982(a)(3) potentially hazardous food in transport "maintained at the required holding temperatures"; (b)(2) bags or containers delivered "through a third-party food delivery platform shall be closed by the food facility with a tamper-evident method prior to the food deliverer … taking possession"; (b)(1)(C) "maintained at holding temperature necessary to prevent spoilage"; §113930.5 definition of third-party food delivery platform.
- Time budget, Python: one-way miles ÷ 20 mph × 60 (1 → 3 min; 2.25 → 6.75 ≈ 7; 4 → 12) + 7 minutes at the pass and the door (assumption, labelled on the page; same as the zones page).