Pre-inspection checklist
Every food business should be aiming for the top food hygiene rating of 5 - Very Good. Anything
under a score of 3 – Generally Satisfactory, is undesirable. As well as deterring customers, it could
impact your ability to do business, for example if you trade at events, many event organisers and
local authorities require a minimum food hygiene rating of 4 to trade at events or in public places.
There are a number of key areas that Environmental Health Officers look for when undertaking a
routine food safety inspection and awarding a food hygiene rating score. These requirements are
set out in the Food Standard Agency’s National Food Hygiene Brand Standard. To help you
prepare for your food hygiene inspection we have prepared this inspection checklist. It outlines the
requirements in line with the following scoring categories of the food hygiene rating scheme:
• Food safety and hygiene procedures - How hygienically the food is handled, how it is
prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
• Structural requirements – The condition of the structure of the building and other facilities, the
cleanliness, layout, lighting and ventilation
• Confidence in management procedures - How the business manages and records what it
does to make sure food is safe, and if staff are suitably trained in food hygiene matters
A food hygiene rating given is based on an assessment of compliance in these areas. To get the
highest rating a business must do well in all three areas.
More information on how the food hygiene rating scoring works can be found on our website: Food
hygiene, inspections and rescoring - Mid Suffolk District Council - Babergh & Mid Suffolk
District Councils - Working Together
The following checklist will help you make sure you’ve got everything in place for your next food
hygiene inspection, and to achieve the best food hygiene rating score that you can. Work through
the list to be as prepared as you can be.
If you have any further queries please contact us on 03001234000
or email: foodsafety@[Link]
Food Safety & Hygiene Procedures Yes (tick)
1 Are staff wearing clean protective clothing that they change into when they
start work? Are staff fit to work? Is long hair tied back or covered? Are there
rules in place for wearing jewellery, nail varnish etc.?
2 Are cooked/ready to eat foods stored separately or above raw foods e.g. raw
meat, vegetables, shell eggs?
3 Are raw and cooked/ready to eat foods kept separate during preparation? Are
separate areas provided?
4 Is there separate designated equipment for raw preparation (e.g. cutting
boards, knives, sanitiser spray, cling film, cleaning cloth, disposable aprons)?
Is this equipment clearly marked and is it understood that it is for raw
preparation only?
5 Where colour coded equipment is used, is it used correctly in order to prevent
cross contamination?
6 Are allergen ingredients stored in sealed containers and not in contact with
other foods? Are they labelled or easy to identify?
7 Is there separate equipment or preparation space in place for preparing
allergen free food e.g. gluten-free items, or for preparing a specific menu item
for a customer who has an allergen?
8 Are all foods suitably covered, wrapped or in containers to prevent
contamination and spoilage?
9 Is there an adequate date marking system in place for prepared foods and
stored ingredients? (For example foods labelled with ‘date made’ and/or use by
dates). Are foods checked daily to remove out of date items?
10 Are foods being properly stored and temperature controlled? (The core temp of
refrigerated food should be 8° ̊C and below, and frozen foods -18°C or below.)
Is a clean, calibrated thermometer provided and available for use?
11 Can you clearly outline your procedures for making sure food is properly
cooked? (High risk foods must be cooked in line with your food safety
management system e.g. to a core temperature of 75 ̊C for 30 seconds.)
12 Are hot held foods kept at a temperature of 63 ̊C and above? Is hot holding
equipment preheated and checked to ensure it is capable of maintaining
adequate temperature control?
13 Are cooked foods cooled and refrigerated within 60 - 90 mins?
14 Can you outline your procedures for safely defrosting frozen foods (e.g. in a
refrigerator overnight, in a suitable container to minimise dripping and avoid
cross contamination, labelled with a suitable use by date)?
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Structural Requirements Yes (tick)
1 Are all food preparation areas and equipment in good condition, clean and well
maintained?
2 Are wash hand basins clean and equipped with running hot and cold water,
soap and hygienic hand drying facilities? Are they only used for hand washing?
3 Are there an adequate number of refrigerator and freezer facilities to properly
store all foods and ensure adequate separation?
4 Is there adequate lighting in place to enable adequate pest control checks and
effective cleaning to take place?
5 Is there adequate mechanical and natural ventilation in place? Are extract
systems cleaned and well maintained and are windows and air vents pest
proofed where possible?
6 Are all drains and grease traps clean, well maintained and pest proofed?
(Drains should be running freely - look for slow draining sinks, broken/ill-fitting
drain grills etc.)
7 Is a disinfectant spray complying with BS EN1276 or 13697 in use? (Required
if handling raw and ready to eat foods).
8 Are you familiar with how to use your disinfectant and cleaning products
properly? Can you explain the correct contact time and use (e.g. dilution where
applicable)? Are staff adequately trained in your cleaning procedures?
9 Is a two-stage cleaning process being carried out on food contact surfaces and
equipment e.g. chopping boards and knives?
10 Are single use cloths used for cleaning? If cloths are reused are they cleaned
and disinfected correctly and are separate cloths used for cleaning raw and
ready to eat foods areas?
11 Is there an adequate number of sinks for cleaning equipment and washing
food?
12 If the same sink is used for both washing equipment and washing food are they
effectively cleaned and disinfected between uses?
13 Is there a constant readily available supply of hot and cold potable running
water for cleaning and food preparation?
14 Is the business premises adequately pest proofed and is it regularly checked
for pest activity?
Is there a record of the pest control checks that are carried out? If a pest
control contract is not in place there should be evidence that checks are being
carried out in-house.
15 Is all waste including used cooking oil stored in suitable clean lidded containers
and collected by a licensed waste contractor? Can you provide evidence of this
e.g. commercial waste transfer notes?
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Confidence in Management Procedures Yes (tick)
1 Is there an up-to-date Food Safety Management System (for example Safer
Food Better Business) readily available and is it accessible to staff? (Everyone
must be aware of its relevance and know where to find it.)
2 Are you and your staff familiar with the controls outlined in your food safety
management system and have you ensured that they reflect the practices and
procedures that you are carrying out?
3 Are appropriate opening and closing checks carried out, before and after
trading each day? Is there evidence that corrective actions are taken when
problems are identified e.g. equipment failures are addressed, customer
complaints are investigated?
4 Are Daily Diary records kept up-to-date with evidence of the important checks
that are carried out? Do staff understand how to use the diary and are they
able to access these records on request?
5 Are you aware of the 14 allergens and how they impact your business? Has a
meaningful risk assessment been carried out to determine which ingredients
and menu items contain allergens and how you would minimize cross
contamination if asked to prepare an allergen free dish?
6 Are staff able to provide allergen information to customers? Where written
information and signposting is available, is it clear and up-to-date?
7 Are all staff trained to an appropriate level? Have they undertaken a formal
food safety training course and have they also been trained on the food safety
procedures outlined in the Safety Management System?
8 Has a supplier list been completed and is there evidence of traceability in place
to identify ingredients e.g. recent supplier invoices, receipts, product labels?
9 Have you undertaken a risk assessment for high-risk food activities (e.g.
Vacuum packed foods, sous vide processed foods, fermented or smoked/cured
foods etc.) to identify specific controls and has the outcome been recorded?
10 Can you clearly outline your fitness policy/return to work procedures? (Staff
must report illness and refrain from work if they have suffered from sickness
and diarrhoea then they must refrain from work for 48 hours after symptoms
have stopped).