Preparing for a food hygiene inspection

Three things are being assessed

Hygiene of the food handling itself, the condition and cleanliness of the structure, and confidence in management — which means the documented system and whether it is genuinely used. The third is the one that can be prepared for in advance, and the one that most affects the rating.

The records that get looked at

Fridge and freezer temperatures, cooking and hot-holding, cooling, cleaning schedules, supplier and traceability information, allergen information, and training records for every food handler including anybody who started last month. Opening and closing checks are the backbone: they are daily, so a gap is visible immediately.

Corrective action is the part that impresses

A temperature out of range is not a failure. A temperature out of range with nothing recorded about what was done is. Officers are looking for a system that notices problems and responds — showing that is more persuasive than a run of perfect readings, which can look untroubled by reality.

Common gaps

Records kept on paper in the kitchen and lost. A system written for a business that has since changed what it does. Training records for permanent staff but not for casuals. And no record at all of the checks somebody definitely did but never wrote down.

The week before

Find the food safety management system and read it as though you had never seen it — does it describe this business? Check the temperature records are continuous. Check every food handler has a training record. Whatever is missing, record it as missing rather than reconstructing it; a documented gap with a date on the fix is a much better conversation than a suspiciously complete record.

This guide describes what organisations are commonly asked for. It is not legal advice and it is not a statement of what your organisation must do — that depends on your premises, your activities and your own assessment, and it is a question for you and your adviser. The regime pages linked below name the legislation so you can read the source.