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How to make sure your restaurant gets a clean bill of health.
10 tips to help pass your commercial kitchen’s next health inspection.
- Health inspections can be stressful. Despite inspections’ being a regular, expected part of the food service industry, many restaurants are ill-prepared – and nothing looks worse than panicking when the health inspector arrives. But it doesn’t have to be this way! By being more proactive about your food safety and implementing a solid preparation plan, you can face your next restaurant health inspection with confidence.
What to expect
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You can expect at least two restaurant inspections per year (one every six months or so), without any advance notice, depending on where you’re doing business. However, officials may also be legally required to perform an inspection if they receive a customer complaint, so that number might change.
With so few visits, it can be easy to lose track and let tasks fall through the cracks, but violations can result in fines – or, in extreme cases, temporary or permanent closures that can deal a blow to your restaurant’s revenue and reputation. Just remember that the health inspector’s goal is to ensure the safety of your restaurant, your staff and your customers – so be ready to show off your best qualities.
How to prepare
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Because inspections can happen at any time, the best course of action is to treat every day as inspection day, implement an HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) plan and perform self-inspections regularly. An HACCP will help identify hazards, but by doing internal inspections you can not only prepare you entire staff for the real thing, but also improve and reinforce food safety practices throughout your restaurant – ensuring a safe, enjoyable experience for staff and diners alike.
All of this starts with knowing exactly what inspectors are looking for. Regulations vary from place to place, so it’s important to check with your local health department to make sure you know precisely which standards apply to your restaurant. From there, you can perform your own inspections to catch and correct issues before an inspection.
How to do a self-inspection
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Ideally, self-inspections are treated like real inspections, which means they should be done without warning. This allows you to more easily nip problem behavior in the bud and avoid complacency. Check out our example checklist to see what to keep an eye on:
NOTE: This is not a complete list. Check your local guidelines and make additions or changes to ensure your internal inspection is accurate and thorough.
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1. Temperature control
If food is improperly cooked or stored at unsafe temperatures, bacteria can accumulate and make people sick.
- Know and avoid the temperature danger zone – the range where bacteria grow most rapidly (40°F – 140°F). Per FDA and USDA standards:
- Cold food should be kept below 4°C/40°F.
- Frozen food should be below -18°C/0°F.
- Hot food should stay above 60°C/140°F.
- Check the thermometers in all refrigerators and freezers to make sure they’re accurate and in the correct temperature zone.
- Ensure meats are cooked to safe internal temperatures.
- Make sure all meat thermometers are working correctly.
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2. Food storage
Likewise, where and how food is stored is equally important to avoid contamination or spoilage.
- Ensure cooked and ready-to-eat food is stored above raw food.
- Check that all food is stored at least six inches off the floor on shelves, racks or pallets.
- Make sure all food is properly wrapped or contained to avoid drips or spills.
- Check that utensils are used in appropriate areas to reduce direct hand contact with prepared food.
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3. Personal hygiene
From front to back of house, everyone who handles food should follow set personal hygiene standards and protocols to avoid contamination.
- Ensure there is a designated sink for handwashing, with soap and hot and cold water, that isn’t used for food prep or dishwashing.
- Make sure employees are washing their hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with hot water (≥38C°/100°F) before and after handling food.
- Make sure single-use gloves are available in appropriate sizes and are changed between tasks, or if dirty or torn.
- Ensure food handlers wear clean aprons and work uniforms where appropriate and keep hair covered or tied back.
- Make sure employees maintain nail lengths and properly cover cuts or wounds.
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4. Food contact
Anything that comes in contact with food has the potential to cause contamination, so regular maintenance is key.
- Make sure all food prep/contact surfaces are regularly cleaned and sanitized with soap, water and an approved sanitizer.
- Check for any cracked or damaged utensils that could cause contamination and discard them.
- Ensure utensils, dishes and equipment are properly washed regularly, using either:
- The FDA approved two or three-sink dishwashing method (wash, rinse, sanitize) or
- A mechanical dishwasher.
- Check the ice bin/machine and ensure it is being emptied and washed regularly, with standard deep cleaning twice a year.
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5. Non-food contact surfaces/equipment
Just because it doesn’t come in contact with food doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be clean!
- Make sure all floors, walls and ceilings are clean and in good repair.
- Make sure non-food contact equipment, such as dishwashers, ventilation, etc., is clean and in working condition.
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6. Public/staff bathrooms
Whether for guests or staff, all restrooms should be kept clean and sanitized.
- Ensure bathrooms are cleaned and sanitized from top to bottom regularly – this includes floors, doors, walls and ceilings!
- Make sure each bathroom is stocked with toilet paper, a garbage receptacle, hot/cold running water, soap and paper towels or a hot air dryer.
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7. Waste storage and removal
Restaurants produce a lot of waste – how, where and when yours goes is important.
- Make sure all waste receptacles are leak-proof, pest-proof and non-absorbent with tight-fitting lids.
- Ensure all solid and liquid waste is removed from food prep areas frequently and at least daily.
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8. Pest control
Pests are the last thing you want in your restaurant, but with so much food they can find ways in.
- Check for any evidence of pests, such as droppings or nesting sites.
- Look for and eliminate easily accessible food or water, as well as possible entry points in walls and doors, both inside and out.
- Utilize appropriate pest-control methods, such as glue traps without poisons or chemicals, particularly in food prep areas.
- Establish a contract with a licensed pest-control operator.
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9. Staff knowledge on and off the floor
If your entire staff understands the importance of food safety practices, the more likely they are to self-regulate and help keep things ship-shape – and the more prepared they’ll be for an inspector’s questions.
- Make sure all staff members are trained and certified as appropriate and per local health department requirements.
- Regularly ask employees job-related safety and sanitation questions.
- Don’t forget servers, to ensure they know how best to hold plates and glasses to avoid contamination.
NOTE: Don’t forget to follow up with staff after every inspection (whether internal or official) to address questions and issues or retrain as necessary!
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10. Records
Just as you maintain a record of daily stock and sales revenue, you should be keeping track of your food safety practices.
- Check to ensure you have up-to-date, organized records of:
- All inspections, both internal and official
- Food safety training/procedures including HACCP
- Pest control schedules
- Equipment repair and maintenance
- While surprise health inspections can be stressful, following our checklist and your local guidelines during self-inspections can help you and your staff acclimate to the experience and be prepared to shine the next time the health inspector visits. Even better, by maintaining the health and safety of your restaurant, you’re not only investing in a passing grade – you’re investing in a sparkling reputation that keeps diners coming back for more.
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Related Resources
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Use this e-book to improve your kitchen behind-the-scenes, so you can boost your customer service and your bottom line.
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