GDP · GMP · HACCP · ISPE · WHO

Temperature mapping guidelines, explained clearly

No long standard text, but a practical translation. Choose the source or question that fits your situation: GDP, IGJ, WHO, ISPE, pharmacies, HACCP, medical devices, summer and winter mapping or data logger rental.

What matters?

  • Where are the warmest and coldest points?
  • Does storage remain within the agreed limits?
  • Where should the monitoring sensor be placed?
  • When is requalification or seasonal mapping needed?
Short answer

There is usually no single legal formula that defines every temperature mapping setup. GDP, GMP, WHO and ISPE guidance expect a risk-based, predefined approach with acceptance criteria, calibrated loggers and a report that justifies monitoring positions.

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Practical translation
Source overview

Which guideline is relevant to you?

Temperature mapping touches multiple sectors. For each source, we show who it is relevant for and what it means in practice for mapping, monitoring and reporting.

Official EU guideline

EU GDP 2013/C 343/01

Medicinal-product storage and distribution

Important for storage rooms, warehouses and distribution points where medicinal products are stored under controlled temperature conditions.

  • Initial mapping before use
  • Representative conditions
  • Sensor placement based on mapping results
  • Repeat mapping based on risk or changes
View GDP questions
Dutch explanation

IGJ GDP FAQ

Wholesalers, manufacturers and GDP practice

The IGJ FAQ helps interpret the European GDP guideline in Dutch practice. We use this source as a practical explanation of GDP expectations.

  • Who GDP is relevant for
  • How IGJ explains the GDP context
  • Difference between medicines, APIs and medical devices
Go to source
Practical mapping method

WHO TRS 961 Supplement 8

Storage areas, warehouses and temperature zones

WHO is especially practical for carrying out mapping studies: temperature profile, loading, seasonal influence and assessment of storage zones.

  • Mapping objective and measurement setup
  • Empty and loaded situations
  • Zones unsuitable for storage
  • Summer and winter mapping when relevant
View seasons
Good practice

ISPE Controlled Temperature Chambers

Pharma, labs, QA and controlled temperature chambers

ISPE supports a risk-based lifecycle approach to qualification, mapping, monitoring, changes and periodic review.

  • Measurement strategy and sensor locations
  • Risk-based requalification
  • Lifecycle approach for controlled storage
Read about requalification
Cold chain

Pharmacies and medical refrigerators

Pharmacies, GP practices, clinics and vaccines

For medical refrigerators, the focus is often 2 to 8 °C, a suitable refrigerator, calibrated loggers, recording and clear actions when deviations occur.

  • Suitability of the refrigerator
  • Sensor position in the storage zone
  • Temperature recording and deviations
Fridge mapping
Sector-dependent

HACCP, food, MDR and IVDR

Food companies, medical devices and IVDs

GDP is not the correct framework for everything. For food, HACCP and food safety apply. For devices and IVDs, MDR, IVDR and product-specific storage conditions apply.

  • Product conditions remain leading
  • Temperature control must be demonstrable
  • Mapping can support the justification
View sector questions
Practical translation

What does this mean for your fridge, cold room or storage area?

The guidelines do not always give one exact number of loggers or one fixed frequency. They require a logical, justified approach that fits your room, products and risk.

01

Define the measurement setup first

Define measurement points, duration, acceptance criteria, load condition and any test scenarios in a short mapping protocol before the study starts.

02

Use calibrated loggers

Use traceably calibrated data loggers. We work with calibrated loggers for audit-ready measurement data.

03

Hot and cold spots

Assess the actual temperature profile, the warmest and coldest points, excursions and time outside specification. The highest and lowest temperatures matter, not an average or MKT.

04

Sensor placement

Place fixed monitoring equipment based on the mapping results. Not by feeling, but based on the risk locations found.

05

Requalification

Repeat mapping after relevant changes, unusual trends, repairs, relocation or when seasonal influence has not yet been justified.

06

Self-mapping with rental loggers

Logger rental is useful when you want to perform the measurement yourself without buying equipment for limited use.

Summer and winter

Do you need summer and winter mapping?

Not always. It depends on how sensitive your space is to external conditions. For ambient storage, warehouses, loading docks, external walls, windows or variable HVAC load, seasonal influence can be relevant. For cold rooms and freezer rooms, two-season mapping is often less automatic, but it still needs to be assessed.

Summer mapping

Relevant with heat load, solar radiation, warm outside air, frequent door movements or a cooling system that has to work harder in summer.

Winter mapping

Relevant near cold external walls, loading bays, draughts, low outside temperature or rooms where cold zones may occur.

Risk-based decision

Document why one season is sufficient, or why a second seasonal mapping is needed. That justification is often as important as the measurement itself.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about guidelines and temperature mapping

Practical answers to common questions about GDP, IGJ, summer and winter mapping, measurement points, data loggers, calibration and reporting.

Tip: use this FAQ as a quick entry point. The full source list is at the bottom of this page.

GDP, authorities and sectors

Is temperature mapping mandatory?
For GDP-regulated medicinal-product storage, temperature mapping is an important part of demonstrable temperature control. EU GDP describes that initial mapping should be performed before use under representative conditions. For other sectors, the need depends on the quality framework and product-specific storage conditions.
What is the role of the IGJ GDP FAQ?
The IGJ FAQ is a Dutch explanation of the EU GDP guideline. It does not replace the guideline, but helps interpret GDP expectations in Dutch practice.
Does GDP also apply to medical devices or food?
GDP is primarily aimed at medicinal products. For medical devices, MDR or IVDR and product-specific storage conditions apply. For food, HACCP and food safety requirements apply. The practical question is similar: can you prove that temperature-sensitive products are stored under the right conditions?
Does GDP also apply to APIs?
APIs are governed by different GDP and GMP frameworks than medicinal products for human use. The practical principle remains comparable: storage, distribution, temperature control, traceability and documentation must fit the risk of the material.

Running a mapping study

When should you perform temperature mapping?
Mapping is logical before first use, after relocation, after repair or modification of cooling, HVAC or layout, in case of structural temperature deviations and when you need to prove that a storage zone is suitable for temperature-sensitive products.
How long does temperature mapping take?
Duration depends on the space, use and risk. Fridges, freezers and compact spaces are often measured for 24 to 72 hours. Warehouses are typically assessed for a longer period so day, night and weekend patterns are included.
How many data loggers are needed?
There is no universal number that is always correct. The number of points depends on volume, layout, storage height, doors, air flows, cooling unit, load, product criticality and known risk locations.
Where do you place data loggers during mapping?
Loggers are placed where products are stored and where temperature differences may occur: corners, centre positions, upper and lower zones, near doors, ventilation, evaporators, external walls, windows and loading areas.
Should mapping be empty or loaded?
The mapping should be representative of normal use. Sometimes an empty mapping is useful for new equipment or OQ, but for routine use a loaded or simulated loaded situation is often more relevant.

Summer, winter and requalification

Do you need summer and winter mapping?
Not always. If the space is clearly influenced by outside temperature, solar load, external walls, loading docks or seasonal HVAC load, summer and winter mapping may be useful or necessary.
What is winter mapping?
Winter mapping is temperature mapping during cold external conditions. It assesses whether a room, cold room, warehouse or distribution zone remains within the defined limits at low outside temperatures.
What is summer mapping?
Summer mapping is temperature mapping during warm external conditions. It is especially relevant where heat load, solar radiation, warm outside air or increased cooling load can influence the temperature profile.
How often should mapping be repeated?
There is usually no fixed legal frequency that applies to every space. Repetition should be risk-based and is logical after significant changes, relocation, repair, building work, unusual trends or unresolved seasonal influence.

Data loggers, calibration and reporting

Which temperature limits should be used?
Acceptance criteria come first from the product specification, label claim, internal procedure or quality agreement. The protocol must state these limits before measurement starts.
Do data loggers need to be calibrated?
Yes, for an audit-ready study, traceably calibrated loggers are expected. Calibration certificates, logger IDs and measurement settings should be included in or traceable from the dossier.
Is MKT sufficient for assessment?
No. MKT can provide additional context, but it does not replace the assessment of actual minimum and maximum values, excursions and time outside specification.
What should a mapping report include?
A good report includes scope, protocol, measurement setup, logger list, calibration status, raw data, graphs, hot and cold spot analysis, deviations, conclusion and recommendations for monitoring positions.
Can you perform mapping yourself with rental loggers?
Yes, if the protocol, logger placement, measurement settings, data handling and reporting are controlled. Rental loggers can be useful when you want to measure yourself but still need calibrated equipment.

Unsure which guideline applies?

Briefly describe what you store and where. We translate the guidelines into a practical approach for your fridge, freezer, cold room or storage area.

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