What Does a Food Hygiene Inspector Check? The Inspection Checklist for Every Country

What does a food hygiene inspector check? In every country the inspector checks three things: how you handle food, how clean and well kept your premises are, and how you manage food safety (a written plan based on HACCP, with daily records). In practice that means temperatures, raw and cooked food kept apart, hand washing, cleaning, pests, allergens, staff training and your records. Who inspects, and how often, depends on your country. This guide gives the checklist and the inspector for all 63 countries Chef Hygiene works in.

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## Contents

1. The inspection checklist (what inspectors check everywhere)
2. Who inspects in each country (the big table)
3. How often inspectors come
4. What the inspector looks at in each type of business
5. Before, during and after the visit
6. The most common faults
7. FAQ
8. Official sources

## 1. The inspection checklist

The words differ from country to country, but the rules come from the same roots:

• EU and nearby countries: Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. Article 5 asks every food business to have procedures based on the HACCP principles. Allergens follow Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (the 14 allergens).
• USA: the FDA Food Code, a model that states, counties and cities adopt.
• Worldwide: the Codex Alimentarius General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969), which many national laws follow.

Use this list as your own walk round. If you can tick every line, you are ready.

### 1.1 Hygiene and food handling

• Staff wash their hands at the right times: before handling food, after raw meat, after the toilet, after breaks and after bins.
• Clean work clothes; hair tied back or covered.
• Sick staff (sickness, diarrhoea, infected cuts) are kept away from food.
• Raw and ready-to-eat food kept apart: separate boards, knives, storage and, where possible, separate areas.
• Raw meat stored below ready-to-eat food in the fridge.
• Food covered, dated and labelled after opening or preparing.
• Out-of-date food thrown away. Stock rotated (first in, first out).
• Deliveries checked: temperature, packaging, dates.

### 1.2 Premises and cleaning

• A hand-wash basin with hot and cold water, soap and a way to dry hands, used only for hands.
• Clean surfaces, floors, walls, ceilings and equipment.
• A written cleaning schedule (daily, weekly, monthly jobs) that is followed and signed.
• Cleaning chemicals right for food areas, used at the right strength and contact time, stored away from food.
• Good repair: no cracked tiles, broken seals, flaking paint or rust on equipment.
• Enough light and air; working extraction.
• Waste stored in closed bins and removed often.
• Toilets that do not open straight into a room where food is handled (EU and UK rule for fixed premises: Regulation 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter I).

### 1.3 Management and records (HACCP)

• A written food safety plan based on HACCP, or the approved guide for your country (for example Safer Food, Better Business in England and Wales, CookSafe in Scotland, the template Food Control Plan in New Zealand).
• The plan matches what you really do. The inspector will compare the two.
• Daily records: opening and closing checks, fridge and freezer temperatures, cooking and cooling, cleaning, deliveries.
• Problems written down with what you did about them (corrective action).
• A person in charge who knows the plan and can answer questions.
• Past inspection points fixed.

### 1.4 Temperatures

• A working probe thermometer, checked so you know it reads right.
• Fridges and chilled displays at your country's number. Most countries say about 5°C or colder; some say 4°C; some laws allow 7°C or 8°C.
• Freezers at −18°C or colder.
• Cooked food reaches a safe core temperature. Many countries use 75°C, or 70°C for 2 minutes. The US Food Code uses 165°F (74°C) for poultry.
• Hot food held at 63°C or hotter in the UK and many other countries (some use 60°C or 65°C).
• Cooked food cooled fast and reheated properly.

Where your country's law gives no number, Chef Hygiene uses fridge 4°C or colder, freezer −18°C or colder and a cooking core of 75°C, or 70°C for 2 minutes. That is good practice, not law. Your own country page in the app shows your country's numbers.

### 1.5 Allergens

• You know which allergens are in every dish, including sauces, oils and garnishes.
• Customers can get this information before they order, in the way your country's law asks (written, on the menu, or by staff with a sign).
• Staff know what to do when a customer asks, and who to ask if unsure.
• Steps to stop cross-contact: clean boards and utensils, separate storage.
• Recipe changes and supplier changes update the allergen information.

The EU and the UK list 14 allergens. The US lists 9 major allergens (sesame since 1 January 2023). Canada lists 11 priority allergens. Australia and New Zealand name theirs under Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL).

### 1.6 Pests

• No signs of mice, rats, cockroaches, flies or birds: no droppings, gnawing, eggs or dead insects.
• Gaps around pipes and doors closed; fly screens on opening windows.
• Food stored off the floor and in closed containers.
• A pest control contract or regular checks, with records.

Signs of pests can lead to a low result, or even a closure, in any country.

### 1.7 Staff training

• Every food handler trained or instructed in food hygiene to a level that fits their job (EU Regulation 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter XII has this rule).
• Training records: who, what, when.
• Some countries ask for a named, trained person: for example a food safety supervisor in Australia (Standard 3.2.2A), a certified food protection manager under the US Food Code (where your state has adopted that rule), and the person responsible's course in Brazil.
• New staff trained before they handle food on their own.

### 1.8 How often they come

• You know your country's rules: visits are usually based on risk, and in most countries they are not announced.
• Your records are ready on any day, not only the day before a visit.

## 2. Who inspects in each country

"Who inspects" is the body that visits restaurants and other food businesses. "How visits work" is a short summary from Chef Hygiene's own checked country pages. Open the official link for the full rules.

In every country above, the inspector looks at the same checklist in section 1. What changes is the law behind it, the numbers (for example the fridge temperature), and what happens after the visit.

## 3. How often inspectors come

Almost every country uses risk: a kitchen that cooks raw meat for many people, or one with past problems, gets more visits than a shop selling packed food. Some examples from official rules:

• England (UK): the Food Law Code of Practice says a high-risk business (category A) is visited every 6 months and a low-risk one (category E) every 36 months.
• France: higher-risk places are inspected at least twice a year.
• Finland: guidance gives a restaurant cooking from raw animal food 0.5 to 2 inspections a year, by size.
• Sweden: about 1 control a year for a small restaurant (official example).
• Switzerland: a restaurant with its own kitchen gets a basic control at least every 2 years.
• Cyprus: the risk category (1 to 4) is the number of full inspections a year.
• Moldova: highest risk 4 times a year, high 3, medium 2, low 1.
• New Zealand: a new business is first verified within 6 weeks; after that every 3 to 18 months, longer if the last visit was good.
• Denmark and Norway: no fixed rhythm. A risk model or the authority decides, and firms with problems get more visits.

Most visits are not announced. A complaint, a food poisoning case or a bad last result can bring a visit at any time. So the safest plan is to be ready every day.

## 4. What the inspector looks at in each type of business

The checklist in section 1 applies to every business. These are the points inspectors look at most closely in each type of business that Chef Hygiene supports.

### Restaurant

Fridge and cooking temperatures, raw and cooked food kept apart, allergen information for every dish, clean extraction and cooker hoods, and a written plan the chef really follows. Inspectors often open the fridges first and check the dates on prepared food.

### Takeaway

Hot holding and reheating, food left out between orders, cooked rice cooled fast and kept cold, packaging stored clean, allergen information on menus and online ordering, and clean delivery bags.

### Café

Milk and sandwich fillings kept cold, date labels on opened food, a clean coffee machine and milk steam wand, chilled display cabinets at the right temperature, and hand washing between the till and food.

### Bakery / cake shop

Cream, custard and cheese fillings kept cold, baked goods cooked through and cooled fast, allergen control (gluten, eggs, milk, nuts, sesame), flour dust kept down, clean ovens and a clean display.

### Home baker

In most countries you must register with your local authority before you sell food from home. The inspector looks at the home kitchen: pets kept out while you bake, ingredients stored apart from family food, a clean hand-wash place, allergen labels on everything you sell, and written checks. Chef Hygiene has a home kitchen daily checklist for this.

### Dessert shop / ice-cream / sweet shop

Freezer and display temperatures, clean scoops and scoop water, toppings and sauces covered and dated, soft-serve machines cleaned as the maker says, and allergen labels for nuts and milk.

### Pub / bar / club

A clean ice machine and ice scoop, a working glass washer, food (even bar snacks) at the right temperature, and cellar and store areas free of pests. If you serve meals, the inspector checks the kitchen just like a restaurant.

### Community hall / venue

Who is responsible for the kitchen, cleaning between users, a working fridge with a thermometer, and records for every event.

### Caterer / food van / market stall

Food kept cold or hot while it travels, a cool box or fridge with a thermometer, hot water and soap for hand washing on site, drinking water, and a plan that covers each event or pitch. Many countries also ask you to register where the van is kept.

### Corner shop / grocery

Chilled display temperatures, date checks and stock rotation, raw and ready-to-eat food kept apart, no damaged or blown packs, and no pests in the store room. If you make sandwiches or hot food, the inspector checks that too.

### School / college / nursery kitchen

Strict allergen control for every child, cooking and hot-holding temperatures, food delivered to other sites kept hot or cold, records the school can show, and staff training.

## 5. Before, during and after the visit

### Before

• Keep records every day, not only before a visit.
• Do a practice inspection: walk round with the checklist in section 1 as if you were the inspector.
• Fix small repairs at once: a broken door seal, a missing soap dispenser, a cracked tile.

### During

• Welcome the inspector and stay calm. In most countries you must let them in.
• Show your food safety plan and the last weeks of records.
• Show your thermometer and take a temperature in front of them.
• Show training records and your allergen information.
• Write down every point they raise and ask questions if anything is unclear.

### After

• Read the report carefully. It usually says what to put right and by when.
• Fix every point, write down what you did, and keep proof (photos, invoices).
• Use your country's route to reply, appeal or ask for a re-visit. In the UK, for example, you can appeal a food hygiene rating within 21 days, or ask for a re-rating visit after you have fixed the problems.

## 6. The most common faults

Across countries, inspectors find the same problems again and again:

1. No records, or gaps in the records.
2. A food safety plan that does not match what the kitchen really does.
3. Fridges too warm, or no thermometer.
4. Raw and ready-to-eat food stored together.
5. A hand-wash basin blocked, used for other things, or with no soap.
6. Dirty equipment, especially slicers, can openers, ice machines and extraction.
7. Signs of pests.
8. No allergen information, or staff who do not know it.
9. Staff with no training records.
10. Old problems from the last visit not fixed.

## 7. FAQ

### What does a food hygiene inspector check?

How you handle food, how clean and well kept your premises are, and how you manage food safety: your HACCP-based plan, records, temperatures, allergens, pests and staff training.

### Who inspects restaurants?

It depends on the country: the local council in the UK, the HSE in Ireland, the Danish Veterinary and Food Authority in Denmark, state or local health departments in the USA. Section 2 lists all 63 countries.

### Do food hygiene inspectors give notice before a visit?

Usually not. In most countries visits are unannounced.

### How often will I be inspected?

It depends on your risk. In England a high-risk business is visited every 6 months and a low-risk one every 36 months. Other countries use their own risk systems.

### Can I refuse to let an inspector in?

No. In most countries you must let an inspector in, and obstructing one is an offence (in the UK, for example, under section 33 of the Food Safety Act 1990).

### What is HACCP?

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: a way to find what can go wrong with food, set limits (like a cooking temperature), check them and act when a check fails.

### Do I need a written HACCP plan?

In the EU, Article 5 of Regulation 852/2004 asks for procedures based on HACCP principles. Most other countries ask for a written food safety plan too. Small businesses can often use an approved guide.

### What records does the inspector want to see?

Temperature checks, cooking and cooling, cleaning, deliveries, opening and closing checks, training, pest control and what you did when something went wrong.

### How long should I keep records?

It depends on your country and your plan. Many businesses keep them for at least a few months so the inspector can see a pattern. Check your country page.

### Can I keep my records on an app instead of paper?

In general yes, if they are complete, dated and easy to show the inspector. In the UK, officers may inspect records in whatever form you keep them.

### What fridge temperature do inspectors want?

Most countries want chilled food at about 5°C or colder; some say 4°C, and some laws allow 7°C or 8°C. Use your own country's number.

### What freezer temperature is needed?

−18°C or colder almost everywhere.

### What core temperature should cooked food reach?

Many countries use 75°C, or 70°C for 2 minutes. The US Food Code uses 165°F (74°C) for poultry.

### What hot-holding temperature is needed?

63°C or hotter in the UK and many other countries. Some use 60°C or 65°C.

### Will the inspector check my thermometer?

Often yes. They may ask you to take a temperature in front of them.

### What do inspectors check about allergens?

That you know the allergens in every dish, that customers can get the information in the way the law asks, and that staff know what to do.

### How many allergens must I know about?

14 in the EU and the UK, 9 major allergens in the USA, 11 priority allergens in Canada. Other countries have their own lists.

### Do pests mean I will be closed?

Not always, but signs of pests can lead to a low result or a closure in any country.

### Do my staff need a food hygiene certificate?

The law usually asks that staff are trained or instructed to a level that fits their job. Some countries need a named, trained person, such as a food safety supervisor in Australia.

### What happens if the inspector finds problems?

Usually you get a report that says what to put right and by when. Serious problems can bring a notice, a fine, or a stop to part or all of the business.

### Can I appeal the result?

In most countries yes. In the UK you can appeal a food hygiene rating within 21 days. Check your country's official link.

### Can I ask for a new inspection?

In many countries yes. In the UK you can ask for a re-rating visit after you fix the problems.

### Does the inspector check the toilets?

Yes. Toilets must be clean, and in the EU and the UK a toilet must not open straight into a room where food is handled.

### Does the inspector look at cleaning chemicals?

Yes: that they are right for food areas, used properly and stored away from food.

### Is a home kitchen inspected the same way?

Yes, against the same rules. The inspector also checks pets, family food and the hand-wash place.

### Do food vans and market stalls get inspected?

Yes. The inspector checks temperatures on the move, hand washing on site and your plan for each pitch.

### Do pubs that only serve snacks get inspected?

Yes, if they serve food. The inspector checks the ice machine, glass washer and food storage too.

### Are school kitchens inspected?

Yes. Allergen control for children is one of the main points.

### What is the most common reason for a bad result?

Missing or poor records and a plan that does not match what really happens in the kitchen.

### Does a new business get inspected?

Yes. In most countries you must register before you open, and a first visit follows.

### Do inspectors take food samples?

Sometimes. Under EU law (Regulation 2017/625) sampling is one of the official control methods, and authorities in many other countries can also take samples for testing.

### Can the inspector take photos?

In some countries yes, as evidence. In Denmark, for example, the inspector can take photos. Ask the inspector if you are unsure.

### What should I do on inspection day?

Stay calm, show your plan and records, take a temperature in front of them, and write down every point they raise.

### How can I prepare for an inspection?

Keep daily records, train your staff, clean on a schedule, and do a practice walk round with the checklist in this guide.

### Does Chef Hygiene replace the inspector?

No. Chef Hygiene helps you do the daily checks and keep the records the inspector wants to see. It does not give an official result.

## 8. Official sources

• UK: FHRS guidance for businesses, Safer Food, Better Business, Food Law Code of Practice (England)
• EU: Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011
• USA: FDA Food Code 2022
• Every other country: the official link in its row of the table in section 2.

Chef Hygiene gives you the daily checks, temperatures, cleaning jobs, allergen records and a practice inspection for your country and your type of business, so you are ready on any day:

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