The most important part of running a food business is maintaining hygienic practices and processes to keep your customers safe. Hygiene inspections help enforcement bodies to make sure that you're doing just that and to award you an appropriate food hygiene rating score. Use these checklists to prepare for your hygiene inspection from a visiting EHO and to maintain food safety in your business. That way you'll give yourself a better shot at getting that all important level 5 food hygiene rating score.
□ Completed, signed & dated food safety management system
□ Adequate hand washing facilities
□ A means for drying hands
□ A food preparation sink
□ A suitably equipped first aid kit
□ A probe thermometer
□ Fire protective equipment - extinguishers / fire blanket
□ Proof that you’ve registered your business with the environmental health department
□ A clean, tidy, safe and easily-cleanable workspace that doesn’t provide access to pests or places for bacteria to multiply
□ Adequate ventilation
□ Adequate refrigeration for storing high risk products
□ Appropriate cleaning equipment
□ A means for disposing waste
□ A means for temperature control & segregation (if transporting)
□ Portable hot and cold water of drinking quality
□ Good personal hygiene (you and your staff)
□ Protective clothing – head coverings are advisable though not compulsory
□ Evidence of food segregation i.e. raw and cooked foods
□ Evidence of hygiene training (for you and your staff)
□ Your EHO should be courteous throughout the inspection
□ They must show you identification before they start their inspection
□ They must provide feedback and guidance - i.e. outline hazards and suggest corrective action
□ They should clearly distinguish between legal requirements and recommended good practice
□ They must provide reasons for required actions in writing
□ When there’s an apparent breach of law, they must state that law
□ They must give you reasonable time to meet statutory requirements, unless there’s an immediate risk to public health
□ They should outline procedures for appeals against local authority action
□ They must comply with EU Food Safety Directives & Regulations, the Food Safety Act 1990, FSA code of practice, LACORS guidance and advice in relevant food industry guides
If so you should be aware that environmental health officers are legally obliged to inspect your business according to the NCASS Primary Authority Inspection Plan. NCASS members are entitled to ask EHOs to inspect them only to that plan, which was written by NCASS, approved by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) for use in all local authorities across the UK.
Inspectors work to the guidelines of the food safety code of practice when conducting hygiene inspections. They’ll want to know that your premises are suitable for hygienic food production. They’ll consider your foods, the way that you work and your FSMS (food safety management system).
Your inspection will result in a food hygiene rating (scored out of 5) which will appear on the FHRS website. If an EHO deems your food handling policies and procedures to be poor you’ll likely receive a low score and you might be required to make amendments before you can continue to trade. Display of the food hygiene rating score is currently mandatory only within Wales but NCASS expects this ruling to be rolled out across the rest of the UK before long.
5 out of 5, no question. Every NCASS member should be aiming for the top score to maintain the high standards for food safety that NCASS is so proud of (well done guys!). Anything under a score of 3 is really very undesirable – but you can always improve it over time if you take the right action. Want to get more ideas about how to make your fixed site catering business safe, legal and profitable? Click here to visit our fixed site area.
Compliance minimises risk to your customers and staff as well as to you and your business. With more than 30 years of experience under our belt, NCASS is well placed to help you run your food business legally and safely. Trade legally and you’re in the best position to trade safely. All the information, tools, training and legislation updates you need to trade legally are waiting for you in your NCASS membership package. We go the extra mile to ensure that our members can trade legally whilst fulfilling their passion: cooking delicious food.
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