What do Health Inspectors look for in a Restaurant?

Health inspections can be stressful for many restaurant owners. Even though inspections are a routine aspect of the food service sector, many restaurants are unprepared — and nothing looks worse than fear when the health inspector arrives suddenly. But this does not have to be the case! You can face your next restaurant health inspection with confidence if you are more proactive about food safety and follow a sound preparation strategy.

However, it's still a good idea to know what happens during a health inspection, because even little details can cause you a big problem. Knowing what inspectors are looking for will help you and your team to stay on top of your food safety responsibilities.

 
What can you expect with this Inspection? 
Depending on where you conduct business, you can expect at least two restaurant inspections each year (one every six months or so), with no early notice. However, if officials receive a customer complaint, they may be legally compelled to conduct an inspection, so that number could alter.
 
Health Inspectors are not there to shut your business down, but sometime infractions can result in fines – or, in the worst-case scenario, temporary or permanent closures, which can hurt your restaurant's revenue and reputation. Just keep in mind that the health inspector's primary purpose is to safeguard the safety of your restaurant, your employees, and your customers, so be prepared to demonstrate your best traits.
 
How to Get Ready for the Inspection?
Because inspections can happen at any time, the best course of action is to treat every day like an inspection day, establish a HACCP plan, and conduct self-inspections on a regular basis. Internal inspections will not only prepare your entire crew for the real thing, but they will also strengthen and reinforce food safety procedures throughout your restaurant, ensuring a safe and delightful experience for both staff and diners. Check out the Health & Safety Guidelines by HACCP.
 
How to Carry Out a Self-Inspection?
 
Self-inspections should ideally be handled as legitimate inspections, which means they should be performed without notice. This makes it easier to track wrong behavioural habits in the kitchen and can avoid complacency. Check out our sample checklist to see what to look for:
(NOTE: This is not an exhaustive list. Check your local rules and make any necessary changes or additions to ensure that your internal inspection is accurate and complete.)
 
1. Temperature regulation
Bacteria can accumulate and make people sick if food is incorrectly cooked or stored at dangerous temperatures.
• Know your temperature. According to FSAI Ireland guidelines: Keep hot meals above 63°C. This temperature is not in the danger zone (5°C to 63°C). Bacteria thrive at temperatures between 25°C – 40°C. Cooked food should be consumed within two hours of cooking if refrigerated below 63°C.
• Cold food should be stored at temperatures below 4°C/40°F.
• Hot food should be kept at temperatures above 60°C/140°F.
• Examine the thermometers in all refrigerators and freezers to ensure they are accurate and in the proper temperature zone.
• Check that all meat thermometers are working properly.
 
2. Food preservation
Likewise, where, and how food is stored is equally important to avoid contamination or spoilage.
• Cooked and ready-to-eat foods should be kept above raw foods.
• Check that all food is housed on shelves, racks, or pallets that are at least six inches from the floor.
• To avoid drips or spills, make sure all food is securely covered or contained.
• To reduce direct hand contact with cooked food, ensure that utensils are used in appropriate areas.
 
3. Individual Hygiene
To avoid contamination, everyone who handles food, from front to back of house, should adhere to strict personal hygiene standards and practises.
• Make sure there is a sink for handwashing with soap and hot and cold water that isn't being used for food prep or dishwashing.
• Before and after handling food, ensure that employees thoroughly wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with hot water (38°C/100°F).
• Ensure that single-use gloves are provided in appropriate sizes and that they are replaced between tasks or if they become soiled or torn.
• Make sure food handlers wear clean aprons and Kitchen uniforms, and that their hair is covered or tied back.
• Make certain that employees' nails are kept at a reasonable length and that any cuts or wounds are correctly covered.
 
4. Contact with food
Because anything that comes into contact with food has the potential to contaminate it, frequent maintenance is essential.
• Ensure that all food prep/contact surfaces are cleaned and sanitised on a regular basis with soap, water, and an approved sanitizer.
• Check any broken or damaged utensils that could be contaminated and throw them away.
• Regularly wash utensils, dishes, and equipment using either the FSAI-approved two or three-sink dishwashing procedure (wash, rinse, sanitise) or a mechanical dishwasher.
• Check the ice bin/machine to ensure that it is being emptied and washed on a regular basis, with a typical deep cleaning twice a year.
 
5. Staff knowledge on and off the floor
If your entire crew knows the importance of food safety measures, they are more likely to self-regulate and help keep things running smoothly.
• Ensure that all staff members are properly trained and certified in accordance with local Food Safety Training.
• Ask staff about job-related safety and sanitation issues on a regular basis.
• Don't forget to train your servers on the proper way to carry plates and glasses to avoid infection.
 
6. Up to date Records  
Just as you maintain a record of daily stock and sales revenue, you should keep track of your food safety practices.
 
• Check to ensure you have up-to-date, organized records 
• All inspections, both internal and official
• Food safety training/procedures including HACCP
• Pest control schedules
• Equipment repair and maintenance
 
What happens if there is a food safety violation?
So, now that you know what health inspectors check for during their visits, what should you do if you get a violation?
 
If it's a minor issue, you'll most likely be given the opportunity to solve it immediately or within a specific timeframe. You may not be fined for these minor items, depending on the inspector's requirements (though they will be recorded). However, you may be subjected to a follow-up examination to see whether the flaws have been resolved. Use this time to remind your team of the importance of food safety and, if required, retrain them.
 
If the infringement is more significant, you may be obliged to close your venue until the problem is resolved. 
 
If you do not comply with an improvement notice or choose to contest it, you may find yourself in court. Venues have been permanently shuttered in severe situations.
 
Before the inspection it is also necessary to equip your restaurant with proper kitchen & dinning accessories which can be provided by wholesale suppliers like Conaty Food & Catering, which is one of the leading Irish restaurant suppliers, offering various services including wholesale Food & Beverages, Takeaway packaging, Chef uniforms, Tableware, Cutlery, Glassware and much more. They are also home to Ireland’s largest hospitality showrooms, with locations in both Dublin and Meath that have thousands of items on display to help upgrade your business! For more information go to www.conatycatering.com